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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION |
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| INTRODUCED BY MATZIE, CALTAGIRONE, DiGIROLAMO, FABRIZIO, FLECK, FREEMAN, GEIST, GEORGE, GINGRICH, GRELL, HENNESSEY, KIRKLAND, KORTZ, LONGIETTI, MARSHALL, MARSICO, MILLARD, MIRABITO, MOUL, M. O'BRIEN, O'NEILL, READSHAW, SANTONI, SONNEY, STERN, TALLMAN, SWANGER AND BRADFORD, MARCH 8, 2011 |
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| INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, MARCH 8, 2011 |
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| A RESOLUTION |
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1 | Recognizing the week of March 13 through 19, 2011, as |
2 | "Pennsylvania History Days" and observing March 14, 2011, as |
3 | "Charter Day" in Pennsylvania. |
4 | WHEREAS, On March 4, 1681, King Charles II of England granted |
5 | William Penn a charter for land in the New World to make up for |
6 | a large debt that the king owed to Penn's father; and |
7 | WHEREAS, William Penn had initially decided to name the land |
8 | "Sylvania," which in Latin means "woods" and to which King |
9 | Charles II added the prefix "Penn" to the name in honor of |
10 | William Penn's father, Admiral Sir William Penn, who had served |
11 | England as a rear admiral and vice admiral of Ireland, a vice |
12 | admiral of England, a general in the first Dutch War and great |
13 | captain commander under the Duke of York; and |
14 | WHEREAS, William Penn wrote a Frame of Government of |
15 | Pennsylvania that established a democratic system containing |
16 | full freedom of religion, fair trials featuring independent |
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1 | juries, assemblies consisting of elected representatives of the |
2 | people and a separation of powers in the government, all ideas |
3 | that later formed the crux of the Constitution of the United |
4 | States; and |
5 | WHEREAS, William Penn therefore described Pennsylvania as his |
6 | "holy experiment" and from it, he hoped, a nation based on |
7 | justice would grow; and |
8 | WHEREAS, William Penn's charter exists as the formal |
9 | beginning of the colony and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and |
10 | through it William Penn established the first example of |
11 | democracy in what would become the United States of America; and |
12 | WHEREAS, Our citizens benefit from learning more about the |
13 | overall history of this Commonwealth from its founding until |
14 | today and how the principles of governance within the |
15 | Commonwealth date back to the beliefs of William Penn; and |
16 | WHEREAS, The history of Pennsylvania, from its founding by |
17 | William Penn onward, exists as a kaleidoscope of stories and |
18 | people with each area of this Commonwealth having multiple |
19 | stories of history involving key characters and events that |
20 | create and establish Pennsylvania's heritage; and |
21 | WHEREAS, The act of July 28, 1953 (P.L.676, No.210) provides |
22 | for the observance of March 14 of each year as Charter Day and |
23 | urges the people of this Commonwealth, the public schools and |
24 | other educational institutions and patriotic, religious, |
25 | historical and veterans' organizations to observe on that day |
26 | the anniversary of the execution of the Royal Charter by King |
27 | Charles II; and |
28 | WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, |
29 | the Pennsylvania State Archives and the State Historical Records |
30 | Advisory Board each works to inform our residents about the |
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1 | Commonwealth's heritage, including sponsoring the 12th Annual |
2 | Charter Day event on Sunday, March 13 from noon to 4 p.m. in the |
3 | State Museum of Pennsylvania; and |
4 | WHEREAS, This free event includes a presentation of the 1681 |
5 | Charter as well as information about Penn's Great Law of 1682, |
6 | the 1698 William Penn Family Bible, a William Penn reenactor, |
7 | stories of Pennsylvania history and other programs; and |
8 | WHEREAS, Pennsylvania has 23 other State historic sites and |
9 | museums and numerous other historical organizations that |
10 | continue to operate, largely thanks to the assistance of |
11 | volunteers and other groups that have donated their money, time |
12 | and other resources so that residents can remain well informed |
13 | about the fabric of this Commonwealth's history; therefore be it |
14 | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the |
15 | week of March 13 through 19, 2011, as "Pennsylvania History |
16 | Days" and observe March 14, 2011, as "Charter Day" in |
17 | Pennsylvania; and be it further |
18 | RESOLVED, That the residents, schools, other educational |
19 | institutions and patriotic, religious, historical and veterans |
20 | groups be urged to participate with any and all Charter Day |
21 | activities sponsored by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum |
22 | Commission, the Pennsylvania State Archives, the State |
23 | Historical Records Advisory Board, the 23 other State historic |
24 | sites and museums or those offered by any of the many other |
25 | historical organizations within this Commonwealth; and be it |
26 | further |
27 | RESOLVED, That the volunteers and other residents who keep |
28 | history alive through their support and work for the |
29 | Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the Pennsylvania |
30 | State Archives, the State Historical Records Advisory Board, the |
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1 | 23 other State historic sites and museums or through the |
2 | numerous other historical organizations within this Commonwealth |
3 | be honored for their efforts. |
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