Modern Pennsylvania History

1. Modern Pennsylvania History • Pennsylvania has suffered severely from the fall of steel and coal. Economic failure, severe population loss in many areas, closed-up factories, and much more. • Beginning in the late 1970s, Pennsylvania began to turn around and make a recovery. • At every new census, the state grew faster than the previous ten years. • Many new immigrants, especially from Asia and Latin America, have arrived. • Pennsylvania has one of the best economies in the nation. • With the turnaround from manufacturing, the state has turned to service industries. Healthcare, retail, transportation, and tourism are some of the state's biggest industries of this era.

2. Modern Pennsylvania • In the 20th century, Pennsylvania has played a major role in all the major national and international events of modern American history: • The Cold War • The Korean War • The Vietnam War • The Two Gulf Wars

3. The Cold War • Alter the end of World War II, the United Nations was established as a parliament of governments in which disputes between nations could be settled peacefully. Nevertheless, the United States and Communist countries started an arms race that led to a "cold war," resulting in several undeclared limited wars.

4. Penn. and Korean War • From 1950 to 1953, individual Pennsylvanians were among the many Americans who fought with the South Koreans against the North Koreans and their Red Chinese allies. Pennsylvania's 28th Infantry Division was one of four National Guard divisions called to active duty during the crisis, being deployed to Germany to help deflect any aggression from Russia or its allies.

5. Pennsylvania and Korea • Major General John Huston Church (1892-1953) commanded the 24th Infantry Division in Korea in 1950. Lieutenant General Henry Aurand commanded the U.S. Army-Pacific (which included the Korean operation) from 1949 to 1952. General Lyman L. Lemnitzer, a native of Honesdale, was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

6. Penn. and the Vietnam War • The Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C., includes 1,449 Pennsylvanians among the 58,715 who died as a result of combat.

7. Pennsylvania and the First Gulf War • In 1990 and 1991 Pennsylvania units sent to Saudi Arabia, as part of the international force confronting Iraqi aggression, included the 121st and 131st Transportation Companies of the Pennsylvania National Guard, the 193rd Squadron of the Air National Guard and the 316th Strategic Hospital Reserve. On February 25, 1992, 13 members of the 14th Quartermaster Detachment, U.S. Army Reserves, a Greensburg unit, were killed by an Iraqi scud missile attack.

8. POPULATION OF PENNSYLVANIA • 1990: 11,881,643 • 1980: 11,863,895 • 1970: 11,793,909 • 1960: 11,319,366 • 1950: 10,498,012 • 1940: 9,900,180 • 1930: 9,631,350 • 1920: 8,720,017 • 1910: 7,665,111

9. Population • Pennsylvania had long been the second most populous state, behind New York, but in 1950 it fell to third due to the growth of California. In 1980 Texas also exceeded our population, as did Florida in 1987.

10. LABOR • The entire decade following World War II was a period of frequent labor strife. The steel strikes of 1952 and 1959-1960 required the intervention of Presidents Truman and Eisenhower.

11. Decline of Steel Industry • Our steel industry began to contract in 1963, although we still lead the nation in specialty steel production. In 1995 Pennsylvania produced 9,092,986 short tons of raw steel, which was 8.66 percent of the nation's total production.

12. Decline of Coal Industry • The anthracite coal industry has been declining in NE Penn. since the end of World War I • Coal has been replaced by natural gas and other sources of energy in the US economy

13. Pennsylvania Economy: 1990s • Among the fifty states, Pennsylvania in 1993 had the fourth largest state general revenue, although we were only 26th in the amount spent per capita (to each Pennsylvanian). In the amount of state indebtedness outstanding per capita we were 32nd. Among the fifty states, Pennsylvania in 1993 had the fourth largest state general revenue, although we were only 26th in the amount spent per capita (to each Pennsylvanian). In the amount of state indebtedness outstanding per capita we were 32nd.

14. Unemployment in the Commonwealth • Today Pennsylvania has the sixth largest labor pool force in the nation, 5.89 million people. From 1976 through 1985 Pennsylvania's unemployment rate ran above the national rate, but from 1986 through 1990 it was below the national average.

15. SPLC’s Hate Map of US

16. Skinheads in Shamokin • Racist skinheadsin the mostly White mining town of Shamokin, Pa., attacked a White trooper posing undercover with a Black trooper in a sting that led to 11 arrests. [1993]

17. Anti-Immigrant Violence in Hazelton

18. White Supremacy in Pennsylvania

19. White Supremacy in Pennsylvania • Extreme right-wing groups have always been a part of the American religious and political landscape. The era between the world wars, especially the 1930s, was a particularly volatile period, and by 1940, racist, nativist, and fascist groups had become so visible as to arouse public fears of insurrection or pro-Nazi sabotage.

20. Race Riot in Philadelphia: 1964 • The Philadelphia race riot took place in the predominantly black neighborhoods of North Philadelphia from August 28 to August 30, 1964. Tensions between black residents of the city and police had been escalating for several months over several well-publicized allegations of police brutality.

21. Racial Segregation and Discrimination in Pennsylvania urban centers

22. Civil Rights in Pennsylvania • A series of important constitutional amendments culminated in the calling of a Constitutional Convention in 1967-1968, which revised the 1874 Constitution. A significant provision prohibits the denial to any person of his or her civil rights.

23. 1950s: Civil Rights • Many African Americans in the performing arts, such as Bill Cosby and Ernest "Chubby" Checker, were born in Pennsylvania and have pursued their careers here.

24. Pennsylvania and Women’s Rights • In 1971 the voters amended the state constitution to guarantee that equal rights could not be denied because of sex.

25. Women in Pennsylvania • In 1987, Pennsylvania was sixth among the states in the number of business firms owned by women, and these generated over 29 billion dollars in sales and receipts. Our state in 1994 had the sixth largest number of women in the work force but rated 47th among the states in the ratio of women workers to total workers.

26. A Multicultural State • The 1990 Census showed 9.17 percent of the population to be African American, including 40 percent of the population of Philadelphia, 15 percent of Dauphin County, and 11 percent of both Allegheny and Delaware Counties. People of Hispanic origin (regardless of race) comprised 1.95 percent of Pennsylvania's population. There are about 16,000 Native Americans.

27. Political History • Democrats achieved electoral majorities in seven of the eleven presidential elections from 1936 to 1976. In 1954 and 1958 the Democrats elected George M. Leader and David L. Lawrence successively as governors.

28. Republicans in the 1960s • Pennsylvania in 1962 elected as governor Republican William Warren Scranton, and in 1966 Republican Raymond P. Shafer.

29. Gov. Milton Shapp • In 1970 the Democrats elected Milton Shapp and regained firm control of the legislature for the first time since 1936. Shapp became the first governor eligible to succeed himself under the 1968 Constitution, and he was reelected in 1974.

30. Penn Republicans during Reagan Era • In 1978 Republican Dick Thornburgh was elected governor. Within two years, the Republicans became the majority party when, in addition to the governorship, they held both U.S. Senate seats, supported President Ronald Reagan's candidacy in 1980, and won majorities in both houses of the state legislature.

31. Republican 1980s • In 1982 Thornburgh was reelected to a second term; President Ronald Reagan was reelected in 1984.

32. Gov. Robert Casey, Sr. • In 1986 the Democrat Robert P. Casey of Scranton, a former State Auditor General, defeated Lieutenant Governor William W. Scranton III for the govemorship, becoming the 42nd person to hold that office. In 1990, Governor Casey was reelected by an overwhelming majority

33. John Heinz and Harris Wafford • The accidental death of U.S. Senator John Heinz led to the appointment and then overwhelming election victory for the vacant seat by Democrat Harris Wofford, who raised the issue of reform of the nation's health care system.

34. Democrats in 1990s • In 1992 Democratic majorities were returned in both houses of the General Assembly for the first time since 1978. On June 14, 1993, Gov. Robert P. Casey underwent a heart-and-liver transplant operation necessitated by a rare disease, familial amyloidosis.

35. Gov. Tom Ridge: 1995–2001 • In November 1994, U.S. Representative Tom Ridge defeated Lieutenant Governor Singel and third-party candidate Peg Luksic of Johnstown in the gubernatorial election. In 1995 and 1996 the majority in the House of Representatives switched from Democratic to Republican by the shift of one seat, but the November 1996 elections gave Republicans a five member House majority and they maintained their majority in the State Senate.

36. Ridge: Homeland Secretary [2003-2005] • Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, U.S. President George W. Bush created the Office of Homeland Security within the White House, and named Ridge to head it.

37. Gov. Ed Rendell • Edward Gene "Ed" Rendellis an American politician and Governor of Pennsylvania. Rendell, a member of the Democratic Party, was elected Governor of Pennsylvania in 2002, and his term of office began January 21, 2003.