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The Spanish-American
War
By 1895 Cuba was in
a state of revolution, wanting to break from Spanish
rule. Americans did not agree with the way Spain
was suppressing the outbreaks, and war with Spain
became inevitable in 1898 when the American battleship
Maine was blown up in the Havana Harbor. It was
Philadelphia Congressman Robert Adams who wrote
the Declaration of War against Spain and recognized
the independence of Cuba. Pennsylvania had a number
of military leaders involved in the war including
Brigadier Generals Abraham Arnold and James M. Bell.
Major General John R. Brooks of Pottsgrove Township
served as military governor in Cuba and Puerto Rico,
and a Pennsylvania regiment was the first to engage
in land combat in the Philippines.
Foreign Born Population
The wave of immigration
that began in the late nineteenth century came to
a close in the beginning of the twentieth century.
This chart shows where the foreign born population
came from as of 1930:
|
Country
of Origin
|
Population
in PA
|
|
Italy
|
226,000
|
|
Poland
|
167,000
|
|
England/Scotland/Wales
|
132,000
|
|
Russia
|
116,000
|
|
Germany
|
111,000
|
|
Czechoslovakia
|
111,000
|
|
Ireland
|
98,000
|
|
Austria
|
50,000
|
|
Yugoslavia
|
40,000
|
|
Lithuania
|
37,000
|
|
Hungary
|
34,000
|
|
Other
|
118,000
|
The World
Wars
Pennsylvania's natural
and manufacturing resources were vital to the war
effort during WWI and WWII. During WWI the shipyards
of Philadelphia and Chester maintained maritime
transport, and the mills and factories provided
war materials. Nearly 3,000 government contracts
were given to Pennsylvania firms. Militarily, over
300,000 Pennsylvania men served in the Armed Forces,
and the 28th division won special recognition. The
WWI plague epidemic hit Pennsylvania hard in October
of 1918. Numbering 13,000, Philadelphia witnessed
more deaths than any other American city. WWI also
marked a spike in immigration of African Americans.
Many African Americans began migrating north during
this period and Pennsylvania soon became home to
many of these migrants lured by new job opportunities
in the iron and steel mills.
Pennsylvania was intensely
involved in WWII as well. Approximately 1.25 million
Pennsylvanians, 1/8 of the population, served in
the war. Chief of Staff, General George C. Marshall,
was a native of Uniontown, and the Commander of
the Army Air Forces, Henry H. Arnold, was a native
of Gladwyn. Pennsylvania produced three full generals
during this time. More medals of honor were awarded
to Pennsylvanians than to citizens of any other
state.
Modern Pennsylvania & Religion
Labor: WWII
was a time of labor strife in Pennsylvania and elsewhere,
and steel strikes in 1952, 1959-1960 required presidential
intervention. The 1970s recession stunted the growth
of unionism in Pennsylvania as well as the rest
of the country.
Religion: Religion
is, and historically has been, a key feature in
Pennsylvania's society. It is estimated that 64.4%
of Pennsylvania's population adheres to some organized
religious faith. This chart shows the distribution
of religions and followers as of 1990:
|
Religion
|
Number
of Followers in PA
|
|
Roman
Catholic
|
3,700,000
|
|
United
Methodist
|
723,000
|
|
Evangelical
Lutheran
|
682,000
|
|
Presbyterian
|
389,000
|
|
Jewish
|
330,000
|
|
United
Church of Christ
|
284,000
|
|
Black
Baptist Church
|
215,000
|
|
Episcopal
|
138,000
|
|
Assemblies
of God
|
75,000
|
|
Church
of the Brethren
|
57,000
|
|
Mennonite
|
50,000
|
|
Christian
and Missionary Alliance
|
37,000
|
|
Old
Order Amish
|
31,000
|
|
Evangelical
Congregational
|
30,000
|
|
AME
Zion
|
28,000
|
|
Church
of the Nazarene
|
27,000
|
|
Christian
Church/Disciples of Christ
|
26,000
|
|
Southern
Baptist
|
25,000
|
|
Church
of the Latter Day Saints
|
25,000
|
Pennsyvlania in Conclusion
Pennsylvania has a
very colorful social history. Beginning with the
original Native Americans and ranging through the
tolerant European immigrants, each subset of immigrants,
movements, religions and events contributed to the
diversity Pennsylvania exhibits today. The efforts
Pennsylvanians put forth in the creation, protection
and cultural development of this country and the
sacrifices they made along the way are an invaluable
piece of American history. In the tradition and
honor of its past, today Pennsylvania continues
to add to the richly diverse cultural makeup of
our United States of America. |
By
Rickie Lazzerini
Historian
BA History
University of California, Santa Barbara
Index
of Historical Reviews
© 2004 Rickie Lazzerini,
All Rights Reserved
This page may be freely linked to but may not
be reproduced
in any form without prior written consent from
the author
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