North Pennsylvania (1983: Doomsday)

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the direct successor to the state government of Pennsylvania in the north-western corner of the state. Aside from Pennsylvanian lands, it also controls Chautauqua County and Cattaraugus County, New York and Norfolk County, Ontario.

Pre-Doomsday
Before the Commonwealth was settled by Europeans, the area was home to the Delaware, and other Native American Nations. The Dutch were the first to take possession, and this has impact on the history of Pennsylvania. In 1638, Sweden established the New Sweden Colony on the site of present day Delaware. New Sweden claimed and, for the most part, controlled the lower Delaware River region (Parts of present Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania), but settled few colonists there.

On February 28, 1681, the King of England granted a land charter to William Penn to repay a debt of about $4,200,000 owed to William's father. This was one of the largest land grants to an individual in history. It was called Pennsylvania, meaning "Penn's Woods", in honor of Admiral Penn. William Penn, who had wanted his province to be named "Sylvania", was embarrassed at the change, fearing that people would think he had named it after himself, but King Charles would not rename the grant. Penn established a government with two innovations that were much copied in the New World: the county commission and freedom of religious conviction.

Between 1730 and when it was shut down by Parliament with the Currency Act of 1764, the Pennsylvania Colony made its own paper money to account for the shortage of actual gold and silver. The paper money was called Colonial Scrip. The Colony issued "bills of credit", which were as good as gold or silver coins because of their legal tender status. Since they were issued by the government and not a banking institution, it was an interest-free proposition, largely defraying the expense of the government and therefore taxation of the people. It also promoted general employment and prosperity. When the Founding Fathers convened in Philadelphia in 1774, 12 colonies sent representatives to the First Continental Congress, and the Second Continental Congress, which also met in Philadelphia drew up and signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, but when that city was captured by the British, the Continental Congress escaped westward, meeting at the Lancaster courthouse on Saturday, September 27, 1777, and then to York. Later, the Constitution was written, and Philadelphia was once again chosen to be cradle to the new American Nation. Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution on December 12, 1787.

The Battle of Gettysburg—-the major turning point of the Civil War—took place near Gettysburg. An estimated 350,000 Pennsylvanians served in the forces.

Pennsylvania was also the home of the first commercially drilled oil well in 1859 near Titusville.

Doomdsay
On Doomsday, Pennsylvania was the sixth most hard hit state in the United States, losing it's capital Harrisburg, it's largest city of Philadelphia, and Pittsburg, which was not destroyed, but was abandoned due to radiation. Eire, although a large city, was miraculously not hit. It, along with other cities in the area such as Warren, Oil City, and Meadville, would become a haven for those fleeing the rest of Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio.

In 1984, Eire, the largest of the surviving cities, acknowledged the destruction of the Harrisburg and established itself as the provisional capital of all of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. However, it only controlled the north-western part of the state.

Post-Doomsday
For many years after Doomsday, the nation's priority was food. While fishing in Lake Eire had checked off some needs, the agricultural output was still inadequate. In 1989 they contacted the newly formed on Lake Eire. This brought joy to the Pennsylvanians, but they also wished for contact from the federal government.

Soon after they annexed Chautauqua County and Cattaraugus County from the lawless region of New York. Most of the lands were nearly completely depopulated, but nevertheless they had their advantages.

Expeditions Across the Eire
After they had come into contact with Toledo, the state government wondered on the possibility of life in Canada. According to Toledo, they had spotted a fishing vessel across the Eire once, but were not able to identify it. A joint Toledo-Pennsylvania expedition across Lake Eire confirmed that life in Canada had indeed survived. Norfolk County, Ontario continued to function after Doomsday, but had indeed suffered more than anyone imagined.

The area was given an ultimatum to join Toledo, Pennsylvania, or stay independent, but they voted the following:

Join Toledo - 37% Join Pennsylvania - 40% Stay Independent - 23%

By a narrow margin, Norfolk County became a Pennsylvanian colony, but they promised to return control to Canada if they ever came into contact with them.

Life on the Mainland
In 1995, Oil City was disrupted by their normal routine by an unexpected visit from the State College area. Once contact with State College was established, the Pennsylvanian people pondered on whether or not the area should be returned to state control. It was eventually decided to drop that matter for the long run and focus on necessary trade with the region rather than imperialism.

In 1997, the area again was visited, this time by the Virginian Republic. This visit brought less spoils than State College or Toledo had, but the Virginians still left on good terms with Pennsylvania.

The New Millennium
By 2000, things had begun to show signs of stability in the area. The level of cooperation between Toledo, State College, and Pennsylvania had allowed one nation to fill in the flaws of the others. By this time, however, they had come into contact with the via their outpost in Ontario. Relations between the two are "disconnected" at best, since distance makes trade a hassle, although it does still occur at a minimum in the Great Lakes region.

At this time, they established relations with the city of Ithaca in New York, which had also miraculously been spared destruction. They offered annexation to the area, but they respectfully declined and instead pursued trade relations.

Pennsylvania also contacted Kentucky via Virginia in 2002. The two nations had a lot in common, as both had retained their statehood names and had both been spared attacks on important locations.

Modern Day
In recent years, Pennsylvania has become home to a small but prosperous economy. Most of this is thanks to the steel mills at Eire, which have provided nearby nations with necessities such as railways, canisters, nails, pipes, and to a certain extent firearms.

Economy
Pennsylvania's economy is primarily based around the manufacturing plants at Erie and it's agricultural outputs. To say, it can dedicate its success today to Erie, for whom without it would be a completely survival-based economy.

In the industrial sector, it produces plastic, nails, railways, pipes, munitions, and other steel products.

While it does not have much land for farming, the food products Pennsylvania does produce are cattle, corn, milk, layer chickens, and grapes. It used to have some of the nations best horses before Doomsday, but most of them were on the southern side of the state.

The one benefit of the north-western part of the state is the abundance of oil. Hundreds and hundreds of gas pools have been found all over Pennsylvania, making it largely energy sufficient and local companies such as Pennzoil and Quaker State able to make a very, very large profit off of oil.

Minerals are somewhat common as well, such as salt, coal, phosphate, sandstone, clay, and limestone. Gravel and silt are found off the coast of Lake Erie, as well.

Government
The government of Pennsylvania is exactly that of pre-Doomsday Pennsylvania state government. In fact, it only holds de facto independence, as it yet to declare independence from the United States. However, in 2002 the Constitution was modified to give more power to the "state" government, specifically the creation of Congress and the right to own militia.

Pennsylvania was, and still is, a largely Democratic state. This has led to most government officials being members of the Democrat party, and as a result, the government holds more control over private companies.