WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.240 Welcome back to the Deep Dive, where we take 00:00:02.240 --> 00:00:04.799 a complicated stack of sources and distill them 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:07.400 into the most powerful, interesting nuggets of 00:00:07.400 --> 00:00:10.980 knowledge for you, our listener. Today, we are 00:00:10.980 --> 00:00:13.859 strapping on our boots and heading straight into, 00:00:14.019 --> 00:00:17.500 well, the true heart of early America, a place 00:00:17.500 --> 00:00:19.500 that holds so many of the foundation myths of 00:00:19.500 --> 00:00:22.879 this country, but often gets overlooked for its 00:00:22.879 --> 00:00:25.600 critical modern complexities. We are talking 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:27.910 about the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. known 00:00:27.910 --> 00:00:30.329 famously as the Keystone State. And that's the 00:00:30.329 --> 00:00:32.250 big question, right? Why the Keystone? What does 00:00:32.250 --> 00:00:34.450 that actually mean? Exactly. Geographically, 00:00:34.549 --> 00:00:36.829 politically, culturally. That's our mission today. 00:00:36.909 --> 00:00:38.950 We really want to understand what makes this 00:00:38.950 --> 00:00:42.250 state home to over 13 million people. So unique 00:00:42.250 --> 00:00:44.469 in the American experience. It's an excellent 00:00:44.469 --> 00:00:47.289 mission because Pennsylvania's story isn't a 00:00:47.289 --> 00:00:50.049 straight line. It's this dramatic oscillation 00:00:50.049 --> 00:00:53.289 between being the forge of global industry and 00:00:53.289 --> 00:00:57.560 the cradle of revolutionary thought. Our sources 00:00:57.560 --> 00:01:00.619 let us move far beyond the usual cliches, you 00:01:00.619 --> 00:01:03.020 know, the cheesesteaks and steel, to really get 00:01:03.020 --> 00:01:06.819 at its role as the functional center, the keystone 00:01:06.819 --> 00:01:09.140 that held the arch of the original 13 colonies 00:01:09.140 --> 00:01:12.140 together. So before we dive into that deep history, 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:15.260 let's just nail down some of those foundational 00:01:15.260 --> 00:01:19.219 facts that sort of signal its unique place. OK, 00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:20.959 so first off, as you said, it's officially the 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:23.319 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It's one of only 00:01:23.319 --> 00:01:26.480 four U .S. states with that designation. And 00:01:26.480 --> 00:01:29.000 that's not just a fancy name, is it? It actually 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:31.099 means something. It does. It comes straight from 00:01:31.099 --> 00:01:33.959 the colonial era and it emphasizes this idea 00:01:33.959 --> 00:01:36.040 that the state is founded on the common good, 00:01:36.099 --> 00:01:38.060 on the welfare of the people. It gives it this 00:01:38.060 --> 00:01:41.459 unique civic gravitas right from the start. That 00:01:41.459 --> 00:01:43.420 immediately changes the whole conversation from 00:01:43.420 --> 00:01:45.180 just a state to something more like a Republican 00:01:45.180 --> 00:01:48.420 body. And its modern scale is just huge. Oh, 00:01:48.420 --> 00:01:50.579 massive. It's the fifth most populous state in 00:01:50.579 --> 00:01:53.420 the nation. Over 13 million residents as of the 00:01:53.420 --> 00:01:56.519 2020 census. And that population is concentrated 00:01:56.519 --> 00:01:58.900 enough that it's the ninth highest in population 00:01:58.900 --> 00:02:03.200 density. But here's a key detail. The political 00:02:03.200 --> 00:02:05.920 and cultural power, you know, tends to rest in 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:08.439 those two big anchors, Philadelphia in the east 00:02:08.439 --> 00:02:11.419 and Pittsburgh in the west. But the capital is 00:02:11.419 --> 00:02:13.849 neither of them. Exactly. The capital is Harrisburg, 00:02:13.909 --> 00:02:15.930 which is located more strategically in the south 00:02:15.930 --> 00:02:19.250 central part of the state. Right. And that geographic 00:02:19.250 --> 00:02:21.150 and demographic spread where the capital isn't 00:02:21.150 --> 00:02:24.189 the biggest city is a crucial detail that kind 00:02:24.189 --> 00:02:27.250 of foreshadows the deep urban, rural and east 00:02:27.250 --> 00:02:29.129 west contrast we're going to get into later. 00:02:29.349 --> 00:02:31.819 OK, so let's unpack that history. Where do we 00:02:31.819 --> 00:02:34.659 begin? We have to go way, way back. Thousands 00:02:34.659 --> 00:02:37.219 of years before Penn's Woods was even a concept. 00:02:37.460 --> 00:02:39.479 Because the history of human habitation there 00:02:39.479 --> 00:02:42.060 really challenges our traditional timelines for 00:02:42.060 --> 00:02:44.000 when people first arrived in North America. It 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:46.520 absolutely does. And the benchmark evidence for 00:02:46.520 --> 00:02:48.840 this, according to the sources, is the Meadowcroft 00:02:48.840 --> 00:02:51.639 Rock Shelter. It's in Jefferson Township in southwestern 00:02:51.639 --> 00:02:53.919 Pennsylvania. What did they find there? They 00:02:53.919 --> 00:02:55.939 found evidence of human activity dating back 00:02:55.939 --> 00:02:59.379 over 10 ,000 years. 10 ,000. And what makes that 00:02:59.379 --> 00:03:02.180 date so significant for the broader American 00:03:02.180 --> 00:03:05.120 timeline? It's a potential game changer. It might 00:03:05.120 --> 00:03:07.900 actually predate the established time frame for 00:03:07.900 --> 00:03:10.020 the Clovis culture. Which was always considered 00:03:10.020 --> 00:03:12.520 the first widespread prehistoric culture in the 00:03:12.520 --> 00:03:14.919 Americas. Exactly. So if the Meadowcroft dating 00:03:14.919 --> 00:03:18.520 holds up, it means human movement and civilization 00:03:18.520 --> 00:03:21.439 in that region was happening much, much earlier 00:03:21.439 --> 00:03:24.479 than we used to assume. It kind of shifts our 00:03:24.479 --> 00:03:26.860 whole perspective on how people first migrated 00:03:26.860 --> 00:03:29.219 into the continent. So fast forward a bit, and 00:03:29.219 --> 00:03:32.120 by 1000 AD or so, we start to see these groups 00:03:32.120 --> 00:03:35.219 establishing settled agricultural societies. 00:03:36.219 --> 00:03:38.520 When the Europeans arrive, who are the major 00:03:38.520 --> 00:03:41.219 players on the ground? The territory was divided, 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:44.319 really, between two major distinct tribes. In 00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:45.960 the eastern part of the state, in the region 00:03:45.960 --> 00:03:48.000 they called Lenapehoking, you had the Lenape, 00:03:48.039 --> 00:03:50.159 they were part of the Algonquian linguistic family. 00:03:50.319 --> 00:03:52.240 And their territory was basically from the Delaware 00:03:52.240 --> 00:03:55.139 River westward. Yep, toward the Susquehanna River. 00:03:55.699 --> 00:03:58.439 And then further west, along the central Susquehanna, 00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:01.199 you found the Susquehannock, who spoke an Iroquoian 00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:03.759 language. These were really complex societies. 00:04:04.020 --> 00:04:05.919 They were adept at agriculture, sophisticated 00:04:05.919 --> 00:04:09.680 trade networks, the works. But by the 17th century, 00:04:09.860 --> 00:04:12.159 that whole political map for these tribes was 00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:14.879 changing radically, even before the big influx 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:17.519 of English settlers. Critically so. I mean, they 00:04:17.519 --> 00:04:20.459 were suffering just catastrophic. population 00:04:20.459 --> 00:04:23.600 loss from diseases like smallpox that came with 00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:25.639 European contact. And that was compounded by 00:04:25.639 --> 00:04:27.839 regional conflicts, right? It was. They were 00:04:27.839 --> 00:04:30.660 caught in these intense geopolitical struggles, 00:04:30.899 --> 00:04:33.540 especially devastating beaver wars. OK, so what 00:04:33.540 --> 00:04:36.240 were the beaver wars and how did they hit Pennsylvania's 00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:39.360 tribes so hard? The Beaver Wars were this series 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:42.259 of incredibly brutal conflicts, mostly driven 00:04:42.259 --> 00:04:45.180 by the Iroquois Confederacy. The Iroquois were 00:04:45.180 --> 00:04:47.899 backed and armed first by the Dutch, then the 00:04:47.899 --> 00:04:49.560 English, and they were trying to take control 00:04:49.560 --> 00:04:52.459 of the really lucrative fur trade routes. So 00:04:52.459 --> 00:04:54.379 the Lenape and the Susquehannock were caught 00:04:54.379 --> 00:04:57.139 in the middle of this. Completely outmatched. 00:04:57.259 --> 00:05:00.279 The sources say they were just outpaced and outmaneuvered. 00:05:00.339 --> 00:05:04.040 The powerful Iroquois and Hurons actively blocked 00:05:04.040 --> 00:05:06.220 them from moving west into the richer hunting 00:05:06.220 --> 00:05:09.019 grounds in the Ohio Valley. So they were losing 00:05:09.019 --> 00:05:13.100 land, losing resources, losing population. Which 00:05:13.100 --> 00:05:16.079 creates a power vacuum. A power vacuum that directly 00:05:16.079 --> 00:05:19.300 enabled European colonization to take hold. Which 00:05:19.300 --> 00:05:21.339 brings us to that European chess match of the 00:05:21.339 --> 00:05:23.939 17th century. We often jump straight to William 00:05:23.939 --> 00:05:27.199 Penn, but there was a significant Dutch and Swedish 00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:30.620 presence there first. Indeed. The Dutch established 00:05:30.620 --> 00:05:34.339 Zwanendael Colony in 1631. That was near modern 00:05:34.339 --> 00:05:36.600 -day Lewis, Delaware. That was their early claim. 00:05:37.019 --> 00:05:40.040 Then, just a few years later, in 1638, the Swedes 00:05:40.040 --> 00:05:42.060 arrived and established the New Sweden. colony. 00:05:42.339 --> 00:05:44.439 So for a little while, part of what would become 00:05:44.439 --> 00:05:46.660 Pennsylvania was actually New Sweden. It was. 00:05:46.680 --> 00:05:48.680 New Sweden claimed a pretty substantial area 00:05:48.680 --> 00:05:51.480 of the lower Delaware River region. But the real 00:05:51.480 --> 00:05:53.420 military strength, you know, it lay with the 00:05:53.420 --> 00:05:56.920 English. The transition really kicks off in 1664 00:05:56.920 --> 00:06:00.839 when Charles II makes this huge sweeping grant 00:06:00.839 --> 00:06:03.860 to his brother, James, the Duke of York. That 00:06:03.860 --> 00:06:06.120 paved the way for the English to just conquer 00:06:06.120 --> 00:06:08.920 the Dutch territory of New Netherland. And there's 00:06:08.920 --> 00:06:11.160 still traces of that Dutch legacy, aren't there? 00:06:11.389 --> 00:06:14.209 There are. One really fascinating detail is how 00:06:14.209 --> 00:06:17.430 a Dutch county court called Upland County basically 00:06:17.430 --> 00:06:20.149 transitioned almost directly into Chester County 00:06:20.149 --> 00:06:23.569 when William Penn later set up his colonial government. 00:06:23.769 --> 00:06:26.110 The bones were already there. And then comes 00:06:26.110 --> 00:06:28.970 the moment everything changes. The William Penn 00:06:28.970 --> 00:06:32.089 Grant in 1681. We all know the story involved 00:06:32.089 --> 00:06:34.670 a debt, but the scale of that debt is just staggering. 00:06:34.889 --> 00:06:37.029 It's a remarkable piece of economic history. 00:06:37.329 --> 00:06:40.550 King Charles II owed William Penn's father, Admiral 00:06:40.550 --> 00:06:44.129 Penn, a massive 16 ,000 pounds. 16 ,000 pounds. 00:06:44.329 --> 00:06:46.149 What would that even be today? Well, if you adjust 00:06:46.149 --> 00:06:48.329 for retail inflation, you're talking millions 00:06:48.329 --> 00:06:50.870 and millions of pounds. So to wipe that slate 00:06:50.870 --> 00:06:53.370 clean, the king just granted the charter for 00:06:53.370 --> 00:06:55.209 this enormous territory to the younger William 00:06:55.209 --> 00:06:57.610 Penn, who was this prominent Quaker leader. And 00:06:57.610 --> 00:07:00.310 it wasn't just a large grant. No, it was, according 00:07:00.310 --> 00:07:02.750 to our sources, one of the largest land grants 00:07:02.750 --> 00:07:06.410 ever legally given to an individual who was not 00:07:06.410 --> 00:07:10.029 a monarch in history. It just cemented Penn's 00:07:10.029 --> 00:07:13.329 power and his ability to execute his vision for 00:07:13.329 --> 00:07:16.589 a peaceful, tolerant society. A vision that even 00:07:16.589 --> 00:07:19.129 extended to the name. I heard he tried to be 00:07:19.129 --> 00:07:21.269 humble about it. He was. Yeah, he was highly 00:07:21.269 --> 00:07:23.410 self -conscious about it. He first suggested 00:07:23.410 --> 00:07:26.069 New Wales, but that was vetoed. So he settled 00:07:26.069 --> 00:07:28.720 on Sylvania, you know, from the Latin for. woods. 00:07:28.800 --> 00:07:31.579 But the king insisted on honoring his father. 00:07:31.740 --> 00:07:34.040 He did. The king put the family name on it, creating 00:07:34.040 --> 00:07:37.360 Pennsylvania or Penn's Woods. And Penn was reportedly 00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:39.560 embarrassed. He was worried people would think 00:07:39.560 --> 00:07:42.160 he was vain, that he named the colony after himself. 00:07:42.839 --> 00:07:45.639 But the king wouldn't budge. Well, regardless 00:07:45.639 --> 00:07:48.079 of the name, his legacy is really defined by 00:07:48.079 --> 00:07:50.040 the incredible innovations he brought in right 00:07:50.040 --> 00:07:52.639 away. His whole foundational structure was revolutionary. 00:07:53.449 --> 00:07:55.509 He established the county commission form of 00:07:55.509 --> 00:07:57.529 government, which ended up spreading throughout 00:07:57.529 --> 00:08:00.189 the colonies. But the most defining feature, 00:08:00.329 --> 00:08:03.029 the real core of it, was liberty of conscience. 00:08:03.189 --> 00:08:06.259 Absolute freedom of religion. Absolutely. Which 00:08:06.259 --> 00:08:08.899 was just groundbreaking in a continent so often 00:08:08.899 --> 00:08:11.360 defined by religious persecution. And this was 00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:14.439 a direct lifeline for the Quakers, who rejected 00:08:14.439 --> 00:08:17.819 a lot of established Christian practices. Things 00:08:17.819 --> 00:08:20.040 like formal oaths, military service, rituals. 00:08:20.500 --> 00:08:22.779 Exactly. I mean, while other colonies had official 00:08:22.779 --> 00:08:25.220 state religions, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island 00:08:25.220 --> 00:08:28.060 really stood out as these beacons of tolerance. 00:08:28.139 --> 00:08:31.100 And it worked. It quickly attracted not just 00:08:31.100 --> 00:08:34.179 Quakers, but also Catholics, Jews, Mennonites. 00:08:34.379 --> 00:08:36.620 German pietists. I think Voltaire wrote about 00:08:36.620 --> 00:08:39.019 him, didn't he? He did. The sources mentioned 00:08:39.019 --> 00:08:42.440 Voltaire writing about Penn in 1733, and he observed 00:08:42.440 --> 00:08:44.740 that the main law of the land was simply, and 00:08:44.740 --> 00:08:47.500 I'm paraphrasing here, to ill -treat no person 00:08:47.500 --> 00:08:50.360 on account of religion. That's a powerful endorsement 00:08:50.360 --> 00:08:52.399 from a leading Enlightenment thinker. And that 00:08:52.399 --> 00:08:54.360 philosophy of peace wasn't just for Europeans. 00:08:54.379 --> 00:08:57.159 It extended to the indigenous populations, which 00:08:57.159 --> 00:08:59.639 is probably the most unique chapter of Pennsylvania's 00:08:59.639 --> 00:09:02.200 founding story. It's a remarkable exception to 00:09:02.200 --> 00:09:04.659 the tragic pattern of colonial history. Penn 00:09:04.659 --> 00:09:06.820 established a peace treaty, known as the Treaty 00:09:06.820 --> 00:09:09.480 of Shackamaxon, with the respected Linpe leader 00:09:09.480 --> 00:09:12.480 Taminand. And what made this treaty so different? 00:09:12.809 --> 00:09:14.769 The sources stress that it was based on mutual 00:09:14.769 --> 00:09:17.769 respect and fair payment for land. And critically, 00:09:17.990 --> 00:09:20.590 it was never actually violated by either side. 00:09:20.669 --> 00:09:23.370 Wow. It led to this long period of genuinely 00:09:23.370 --> 00:09:25.769 friendly relations between the Quakers and the 00:09:25.769 --> 00:09:27.990 native tribes. It just wasn't happening anywhere 00:09:27.990 --> 00:09:30.809 else. That peace and prosperity led to massive 00:09:30.809 --> 00:09:34.399 growth, making Pennsylvania indispensable. And 00:09:34.399 --> 00:09:36.700 by the 18th century, it wasn't just thriving 00:09:36.700 --> 00:09:39.720 politically, but financially. And this is where 00:09:39.720 --> 00:09:42.980 we find a truly, almost shockingly modern economic 00:09:42.980 --> 00:09:45.659 innovation. Okay, this is where the deep dive 00:09:45.659 --> 00:09:48.340 really earns its name. Because of the constant 00:09:48.340 --> 00:09:50.740 shortage of gold and silver coin in the colonies, 00:09:50.899 --> 00:09:53.259 Pennsylvania essentially became a pioneer in 00:09:53.259 --> 00:09:55.840 government -backed fiat currency. They invented 00:09:55.840 --> 00:09:58.980 and issued something called colonial scrip. Interest 00:09:58.980 --> 00:10:01.279 -free paper money. Interest -free paper money 00:10:01.279 --> 00:10:03.480 issued by the government and backed by land. 00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:05.899 That sounds like a system designed to solve the 00:10:05.899 --> 00:10:07.860 problem of government debt without crushing people 00:10:07.860 --> 00:10:10.559 with taxes. That's precisely what it was. It 00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:13.480 functioned as a bill of credit because the colony 00:10:13.480 --> 00:10:15.840 could fund infrastructure, defense, all these 00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:18.600 public works without paying compounding interest 00:10:18.600 --> 00:10:21.200 on external debt. They could largely cover the 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:23.480 expense of government. Which means lower taxes. 00:10:23.659 --> 00:10:26.539 Greatly reduced the need for heavy taxation and 00:10:26.539 --> 00:10:29.240 promoted general employment and prosperity. And 00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:31.460 this wasn't just some fringe experiment. Benjamin 00:10:31.460 --> 00:10:33.919 Franklin himself was a huge supporter. He was. 00:10:34.120 --> 00:10:36.759 He helped design the system and called its utility 00:10:36.759 --> 00:10:40.179 never to be disputed. Franklin saw its power 00:10:40.179 --> 00:10:42.830 to stimulate the economy. It was a functioning, 00:10:42.950 --> 00:10:46.129 successful proto -fiat currency system that let 00:10:46.129 --> 00:10:48.649 Pennsylvania finance its own growth. So, of course, 00:10:48.669 --> 00:10:51.230 the British had to shut it down. Of course. The 00:10:51.230 --> 00:10:54.049 British Parliament saw it as this uncontrollable 00:10:54.049 --> 00:10:57.110 threat to their own mercantile system and their 00:10:57.110 --> 00:11:00.110 control over colonial finance. So they shut it 00:11:00.110 --> 00:11:02.830 down completely with the Currency Act of 1764. 00:11:02.970 --> 00:11:05.629 Wait, so the Crown essentially suppressed a wildly 00:11:05.629 --> 00:11:08.029 successful economic system run by the colonists. 00:11:08.250 --> 00:11:10.409 That sounds like a textbook definition of an 00:11:10.409 --> 00:11:13.009 ignition point. for a revolution. It absolutely 00:11:13.009 --> 00:11:16.090 was. The Currency Act was one of the many, many 00:11:16.090 --> 00:11:18.309 grievances that pushed the colonies toward independence, 00:11:18.730 --> 00:11:21.690 especially Pennsylvania, which suddenly felt 00:11:21.690 --> 00:11:24.730 the chokehold of British economic control. The 00:11:24.730 --> 00:11:26.990 stage was set for Philadelphia to become the 00:11:26.990 --> 00:11:29.850 indispensable political capital of this budding 00:11:29.850 --> 00:11:33.460 nation. And the timeline just confirms it. Philadelphia 00:11:33.460 --> 00:11:37.639 hosts the Stamp Act Congress in 1765. The first 00:11:37.639 --> 00:11:40.620 major unifying meeting of delegates from the 00:11:40.620 --> 00:11:42.840 colonies to protest British policy. And that 00:11:42.840 --> 00:11:44.750 was just the beginning. then the First Continental 00:11:44.750 --> 00:11:47.889 Congress in 74, and then, crucially, the Second 00:11:47.889 --> 00:11:50.470 Continental Congress in 75. And it was in Philadelphia 00:11:50.470 --> 00:11:53.070 that George Washington was appointed to command 00:11:53.070 --> 00:11:56.690 the Continental Army, and where, on July 4, 1776, 00:11:56.950 --> 00:11:59.129 the Declaration of Independence was debated and 00:11:59.129 --> 00:12:02.029 unanimously adopted. Even when the British temporarily 00:12:02.029 --> 00:12:04.470 took the city, Pennsylvania remained central. 00:12:04.840 --> 00:12:07.059 It did. The Continental Congress just relocated 00:12:07.059 --> 00:12:09.279 first to Lancaster, then to York. And it was 00:12:09.279 --> 00:12:11.679 in York that they adopted the Articles of Confederation. 00:12:11.820 --> 00:12:13.820 As soon as Philly was secure again, they went 00:12:13.820 --> 00:12:15.840 right back to finish the job. The next big step 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:19.080 being the U .S. Constitution, drafted and signed 00:12:19.080 --> 00:12:21.220 at the Pennsylvania Statehouse, which we now 00:12:21.220 --> 00:12:23.940 know as Independence Hall. The role Pennsylvania 00:12:23.940 --> 00:12:26.740 played in birthing every single foundational 00:12:26.740 --> 00:12:30.440 document of the nation is just unmatched. It 00:12:30.440 --> 00:12:33.899 truly defines the Keystone name. But there's 00:12:33.899 --> 00:12:36.279 a detail from that era that often gets missed 00:12:36.279 --> 00:12:39.259 about the ratification process that highlights 00:12:39.259 --> 00:12:41.659 the early struggles with inclusion in American 00:12:41.659 --> 00:12:43.789 democracy. You're talking about the German population. 00:12:44.090 --> 00:12:46.970 Exactly. Yeah. So Pennsylvania was the second 00:12:46.970 --> 00:12:49.850 state to ratify the Constitution on December 00:12:49.850 --> 00:12:53.750 12th, 1787. At that time, about a third of the 00:12:53.750 --> 00:12:56.250 state's population spoke German. This was from 00:12:56.250 --> 00:12:59.110 the massive influx of German pietists who had 00:12:59.110 --> 00:13:01.289 sought that religious freedom under Penn's charter. 00:13:01.590 --> 00:13:04.129 So how did they ensure this huge minority group 00:13:04.129 --> 00:13:06.149 could participate? They officially translated 00:13:06.149 --> 00:13:08.490 the Constitution into German for dissemination 00:13:08.490 --> 00:13:10.509 across the state. They wanted to make sure this 00:13:10.509 --> 00:13:12.590 population was fully informed. and could be part 00:13:12.590 --> 00:13:14.330 of this momentous decision. That's incredible. 00:13:14.490 --> 00:13:17.169 And get this, the chairman of the ratifying convention 00:13:17.169 --> 00:13:20.129 himself, Reverend Frederick Muhlenberg, was a 00:13:20.129 --> 00:13:22.730 Lutheran minister who later became the very first 00:13:22.730 --> 00:13:24.669 speaker of the U .S. House of Representatives. 00:13:25.690 --> 00:13:28.909 That level of linguistic inclusion right at the 00:13:28.909 --> 00:13:31.549 foundational moment of the country is just a 00:13:31.549 --> 00:13:33.950 stunning detail. Moving into the 19th century, 00:13:34.090 --> 00:13:37.029 Pennsylvania remains foundational, but the context 00:13:37.029 --> 00:13:40.649 shifts dramatically from political birth to... 00:13:41.080 --> 00:13:43.059 National survival. We have to talk about the 00:13:43.059 --> 00:13:46.200 Civil War and specifically that tragic turning 00:13:46.200 --> 00:13:49.100 point in Gettysburg. The Battle of Gettysburg 00:13:49.100 --> 00:13:53.159 fought over three days in July 1863. It wasn't 00:13:53.159 --> 00:13:55.059 just the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. It 00:13:55.059 --> 00:13:57.259 remains the bloodiest engagement in all of American 00:13:57.259 --> 00:14:00.159 military history. Over 51 ,000 combined casualties. 00:14:00.240 --> 00:14:03.159 51 ,000. It was Lee's final desperate attempt 00:14:03.159 --> 00:14:05.659 to invade the North, and it was decisively repulsed. 00:14:05.659 --> 00:14:08.100 The sheer cost of that victory changed the course 00:14:08.100 --> 00:14:10.419 of the war entirely. It did. It prevented the 00:14:10.419 --> 00:14:12.500 Confederacy from getting European recognition, 00:14:12.679 --> 00:14:15.379 and it solidified the Union's path to victory. 00:14:16.320 --> 00:14:18.059 Four months later, President Lincoln delivered 00:14:18.059 --> 00:14:22.139 the 271 -word Gettysburg Address, elevating the 00:14:22.139 --> 00:14:24.139 purpose of the war to preserving not just the 00:14:24.139 --> 00:14:26.860 Union, but the core principles of liberty and 00:14:26.860 --> 00:14:29.220 equality. And the state's contribution in terms 00:14:29.220 --> 00:14:32.200 of manpower was immense. That's massive. An estimated 00:14:32.200 --> 00:14:35.539 350 ,000 Pennsylvanians served in the Union Army. 00:14:35.720 --> 00:14:39.279 And that number included 8 ,600 African -American 00:14:39.279 --> 00:14:41.639 volunteers who fought for the cause of freedom. 00:14:41.960 --> 00:14:45.429 After the war, Pennsylvania shifts again. From 00:14:45.429 --> 00:14:47.870 the cradle of liberty to the forge of global 00:14:47.870 --> 00:14:51.049 industry, the Gilded Age. This is where the state 00:14:51.049 --> 00:14:53.490 becomes globally synonymous with steel, coal, 00:14:53.669 --> 00:14:56.409 and oil. The transformation was total. Pittsburgh 00:14:56.409 --> 00:14:58.669 became the epicenter, thanks to figures like 00:14:58.669 --> 00:15:01.330 Andrew Carnegie and his Carnegie Steel. And over 00:15:01.330 --> 00:15:03.490 in the Lehigh Valley, you had Charles M. Schwab 00:15:03.490 --> 00:15:06.049 building Bethlehem Steel. Which became one of 00:15:06.049 --> 00:15:07.809 the largest shipbuilding and steel companies 00:15:07.809 --> 00:15:10.090 in the world. In the world. It operated for over 00:15:10.090 --> 00:15:12.710 150 years. And the birth of the American oil 00:15:12.710 --> 00:15:14.549 industry, we always think Texas, but it wasn't 00:15:14.549 --> 00:15:17.529 Texas. It was western Pennsylvania. It was. Edwin 00:15:17.529 --> 00:15:21.009 Drake struck oil in Titusville in 1859, and it 00:15:21.009 --> 00:15:24.710 just launched this massive boom. For years, western 00:15:24.710 --> 00:15:26.669 PA supplied oil. applied the vast majority of 00:15:26.669 --> 00:15:29.210 the world's kerosene and oil. Which led to the 00:15:29.210 --> 00:15:31.690 rise of monopolists like Rockefeller. Exactly. 00:15:31.970 --> 00:15:34.389 John D. Rockefeller, who completely dominated 00:15:34.389 --> 00:15:36.730 the refining and distribution side of things. 00:15:36.870 --> 00:15:39.409 And where you have that kind of intense industrialization, 00:15:39.429 --> 00:15:42.279 you get the labor movement. Pennsylvania was 00:15:42.279 --> 00:15:45.019 the site of the first documented organized strike 00:15:45.019 --> 00:15:48.220 in North America, highlighting that brutal conflict 00:15:48.220 --> 00:15:50.440 between corporate titans and the working class. 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:53.100 And the conflict was ferocious. You see these 00:15:53.100 --> 00:15:55.860 major flashpoints like the Great Railroad Strike 00:15:55.860 --> 00:15:58.879 of 1877 and especially the massive coal strike 00:15:58.879 --> 00:16:01.379 of 1902. The sources paint a picture of just 00:16:01.379 --> 00:16:03.980 unchecked corporate power. They do. For example, 00:16:04.059 --> 00:16:06.120 industrialists often employed their own private 00:16:06.120 --> 00:16:09.440 police forces, the infamous coal and iron police. 00:16:09.659 --> 00:16:12.029 Private police. Yeah, they were essentially deputized 00:16:12.029 --> 00:16:14.629 to suppress any union organization. It was almost 00:16:14.629 --> 00:16:16.929 medieval, a system where corporations controlled 00:16:16.929 --> 00:16:19.169 both the jobs and the enforcement of the law 00:16:19.169 --> 00:16:22.460 against their own workers. Critics at the time, 00:16:22.460 --> 00:16:24.519 like Rockefeller's, accused him of basically 00:16:24.519 --> 00:16:26.820 controlling the state legislature. Widely accused 00:16:26.820 --> 00:16:29.120 of it. And that's why the outcomes of these bitter 00:16:29.120 --> 00:16:32.139 struggles were so monumental. The eventual adoption 00:16:32.139 --> 00:16:35.559 of the eight hour day, the banning of those private 00:16:35.559 --> 00:16:39.500 corporate police forces. It all illustrates Pennsylvania's 00:16:39.500 --> 00:16:42.559 crucial and often violent role in defining modern 00:16:42.559 --> 00:16:45.460 American labor relations. That industrial history 00:16:45.460 --> 00:16:48.179 is so tied to the land, which brings us to geography. 00:16:48.759 --> 00:16:50.600 It's kind of wild to think that this state, the 00:16:50.600 --> 00:16:52.840 forge of the nation, is also one of the most 00:16:52.840 --> 00:16:55.179 heavily forested places in the Northeast. And 00:16:55.179 --> 00:16:57.799 that gets us to a fundamental geographic paradox. 00:16:58.240 --> 00:17:00.419 Pennsylvania is the only one of the original 00:17:00.419 --> 00:17:03.960 13 colonies that does not have a direct non -tidal 00:17:03.960 --> 00:17:06.380 border with the Atlantic Ocean. Right. It's landlocked 00:17:06.380 --> 00:17:09.000 in that sense. But it still have 140 miles of 00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:11.660 total waterfront between Lake Erie in the northwest 00:17:11.660 --> 00:17:14.579 and the tidal Delaware River in the east. It's 00:17:14.579 --> 00:17:17.480 a physically massive state, 33rd largest. But 00:17:17.480 --> 00:17:19.799 the interior landscape is really defined by its 00:17:19.799 --> 00:17:22.539 mountains. The whole center is dominated by the 00:17:22.539 --> 00:17:25.880 Appalachian mountain chain. You've got the dramatic 00:17:25.880 --> 00:17:28.700 Allegheny Mountains, the popular Pocono Mountains 00:17:28.700 --> 00:17:31.539 in the northeast. And it is still wonderfully 00:17:31.539 --> 00:17:34.559 forested. Nearly 60 percent of the state is covered 00:17:34.559 --> 00:17:37.160 in timberland. Which supports that hardwood lumber 00:17:37.160 --> 00:17:39.880 industry we'll get to. Exactly. And geographers 00:17:39.880 --> 00:17:42.000 usually divide it into five distinct regions. 00:17:42.279 --> 00:17:44.680 You have the Allegheny Plateau, which is rough, 00:17:44.819 --> 00:17:47.400 high terrain. The Ridgen Valley, which is the 00:17:47.400 --> 00:17:49.900 agricultural heartland. The Atlantic coastal 00:17:49.900 --> 00:17:52.680 plain in the southeast. The Piedmont with its 00:17:52.680 --> 00:17:55.380 rolling hills. And then the Erie plain up by 00:17:55.380 --> 00:17:57.660 the lake. And the climate is just as transitional. 00:17:57.839 --> 00:18:00.640 It sits on this kind of continental razor's edge. 00:18:00.980 --> 00:18:03.660 The topography dictates the weather. So the state 00:18:03.660 --> 00:18:06.140 straddles the humid. continental climate in the 00:18:06.140 --> 00:18:08.519 interior, you know, cold, snowy winters, and 00:18:08.519 --> 00:18:10.940 the humid subtropical climate down south, especially 00:18:10.940 --> 00:18:12.759 around Philadelphia. And if you're near Lake 00:18:12.759 --> 00:18:14.960 Erie, you get that famous lake effect snow. Oh, 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:17.880 yeah. It dramatically increases snowfall. Western 00:18:17.880 --> 00:18:20.680 areas can see well over 100 inches a year. And 00:18:20.680 --> 00:18:22.779 we often forget Pennsylvania is also part of 00:18:22.779 --> 00:18:25.759 a secondary tornado alley. It is. Major outbreaks 00:18:25.759 --> 00:18:28.119 are less frequent than in the plains, but the 00:18:28.119 --> 00:18:30.319 state sees tornadoes every year. I think in 2011, 00:18:30.500 --> 00:18:32.720 they recorded 30 tornadoes across the state. 00:18:32.859 --> 00:18:35.960 The diverse landscape just ensures no two regions 00:18:35.960 --> 00:18:38.559 really get the same weather. So let's talk about 00:18:38.559 --> 00:18:40.799 the people, because that's a story of incredible 00:18:40.799 --> 00:18:44.019 rapid change. The sources point to some really... 00:18:44.269 --> 00:18:46.849 counterintuitive migration dynamics. This is 00:18:46.849 --> 00:18:49.150 a powerful insight into the state's current identity. 00:18:49.470 --> 00:18:51.809 Surprisingly, there is a net migration out of 00:18:51.809 --> 00:18:54.549 the state by native born Pennsylvanians. So there's 00:18:54.549 --> 00:18:56.630 a domestic population decrease. But the state 00:18:56.630 --> 00:18:58.569 is growing. It is because strong international 00:18:58.569 --> 00:19:01.569 immigration completely offsets that trend, leading 00:19:01.569 --> 00:19:04.109 to a net population increase. So the growth is 00:19:04.109 --> 00:19:06.049 entirely from people arriving from outside the 00:19:06.049 --> 00:19:09.450 U .S. Entirely. As of 2021, 7 .2 percent of the 00:19:09.450 --> 00:19:12.329 population is foreign born and the source regions 00:19:12.329 --> 00:19:15.950 are fascinatingly Asia is 36 percent, Europe 00:19:15.950 --> 00:19:18.670 is about 36 percent, and Latin America is about 00:19:18.670 --> 00:19:20.829 30 percent. So what are the largest ancestry 00:19:20.829 --> 00:19:23.410 groups overall, still the historic ones? Yes, 00:19:23.450 --> 00:19:25.809 the largest groups still reflect those 19th and 00:19:25.809 --> 00:19:28.730 early 20th century waves. So German is number 00:19:28.730 --> 00:19:31.809 one at 28 .5 percent, then Irish, then Italian. 00:19:32.190 --> 00:19:34.809 But the really dramatic shift is happening right 00:19:34.809 --> 00:19:37.569 now. in the 21st century, especially with the 00:19:37.569 --> 00:19:39.769 Hispanic and Latino population. The growth rate 00:19:39.769 --> 00:19:43.190 is staggering. Between 2000 and 2010, the Hispanic 00:19:43.190 --> 00:19:47.109 or Latino population grew by 82 .6%. That's one 00:19:47.109 --> 00:19:49.450 of the largest increases anywhere in the country. 00:19:49.569 --> 00:19:52.289 And what's driving that? It's a few things. Migration 00:19:52.289 --> 00:19:55.130 from Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, 00:19:55.329 --> 00:19:57.970 but also secondary migration from higher cost 00:19:57.970 --> 00:20:00.230 places like New York City and New Jersey. And 00:20:00.230 --> 00:20:02.269 this population isn't just settling randomly. 00:20:03.210 --> 00:20:06.009 It's geographically concentrated in key areas 00:20:06.009 --> 00:20:08.849 that really feed into that urban and suburban 00:20:08.849 --> 00:20:11.029 political dynamic we've been talking about. That's 00:20:11.029 --> 00:20:13.609 the key takeaway. About 85 % of this growing 00:20:13.609 --> 00:20:16.589 population lives within a 150 -mile radius of 00:20:16.589 --> 00:20:19.329 Philadelphia. You see major concentrations in 00:20:19.329 --> 00:20:21.890 the Lehigh Valley Allentown, Bethlehem, and in 00:20:21.890 --> 00:20:24.829 south -central PA, in cities like Reading, Lancaster, 00:20:24.849 --> 00:20:27.009 and York. I think Allentown's Puerto Rican population 00:20:27.009 --> 00:20:29.690 is huge, right? By 2000, it was already over 00:20:29.690 --> 00:20:33.309 40 % of the city's population. time, the Asian 00:20:33.309 --> 00:20:36.049 population swelled by almost 60 % in that same 00:20:36.049 --> 00:20:39.569 decade. You have large influxes of Indian, Vietnamese, 00:20:39.829 --> 00:20:42.789 and Chinese immigrants, and they're also overwhelmingly 00:20:42.789 --> 00:20:44.930 moving into the Philly and Pittsburgh suburban 00:20:44.930 --> 00:20:47.750 areas. That level of demographic change in a 00:20:47.750 --> 00:20:50.549 single generation has to change the state's cultural, 00:20:50.789 --> 00:20:53.490 economic, and political map. Inevitably. On the 00:20:53.490 --> 00:20:55.869 other end of the scale, Pennsylvania has a reputation 00:20:55.869 --> 00:20:58.109 for being an aging state. It does. It has the 00:20:58.109 --> 00:21:00.710 fourth highest proportion of elderly citizens, 00:21:01.009 --> 00:21:04.450 65... up in the entire nation, about 15 .4%. 00:21:04.450 --> 00:21:07.190 Which creates huge policy challenges. Tremendous 00:21:07.190 --> 00:21:09.009 challenges. Healthcare, infrastructure, funding 00:21:09.009 --> 00:21:11.730 for social services. It's a state that is simultaneously 00:21:11.730 --> 00:21:14.710 experiencing this rapid youthification through 00:21:14.710 --> 00:21:17.170 immigration and population aging through long 00:21:17.170 --> 00:21:19.589 -term resident retention. It's a real demographic 00:21:19.589 --> 00:21:22.109 tug of war. That history of immigration gives 00:21:22.109 --> 00:21:23.930 Pennsylvania one of the most unique linguistic 00:21:23.930 --> 00:21:26.289 tapestries in the nation. We have to talk about 00:21:26.289 --> 00:21:29.390 the famous or maybe infamous Pennsylvania Dutch. 00:21:29.930 --> 00:21:32.069 Right. And we have to start by clarifying the 00:21:32.069 --> 00:21:35.690 language. It is Pennsylvania German. It's a descendant 00:21:35.690 --> 00:21:38.730 of the German Palatine dialect. So why do we 00:21:38.730 --> 00:21:41.910 call it Dutch? It's just a misnomer, an anglicization 00:21:41.910 --> 00:21:45.430 of the German word Deutsch. Now, as an everyday 00:21:45.430 --> 00:21:47.450 language outside of the plain communities, it's 00:21:47.450 --> 00:21:50.430 nearly extinct. But its persistence within those 00:21:50.430 --> 00:21:52.990 communities is a global anomaly. You mean among 00:21:52.990 --> 00:21:55.650 the old order Amish and Mennonites? Precisely. 00:21:55.650 --> 00:21:58.549 Among them, it's still a highly vital first language. 00:21:59.099 --> 00:22:01.519 This concentration means Pennsylvania is a global 00:22:01.519 --> 00:22:04.920 center for the Amish community. As of 2024, the 00:22:04.920 --> 00:22:07.500 state's Amish population was almost 93 ,000, 00:22:07.579 --> 00:22:10.339 second only to Ohio. Shifting to the broader 00:22:10.339 --> 00:22:12.680 religious landscape, William Penn's legacy of 00:22:12.680 --> 00:22:15.299 religious freedom really shaped the state. But 00:22:15.299 --> 00:22:17.440 what does that profile look like today? Well, 00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:19.819 historically, yes, it was defined by its Protestant 00:22:19.819 --> 00:22:22.440 and Catholic roots. But the contemporary picture 00:22:22.440 --> 00:22:24.799 reflects national trends with a really significant 00:22:24.799 --> 00:22:28.559 shift. A recent poll from 2023 shows the largest 00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:31.500 single group now identifies as unaffiliated. 00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:33.740 Unaffiliated, meaning no religious association. 00:22:33.819 --> 00:22:37.079 Right. They're at 32 .0 percent. So the largest 00:22:37.079 --> 00:22:40.000 group is now the non -religious group. Just barely 00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:42.880 edging out the established faiths. It is. Protestants 00:22:42.880 --> 00:22:45.660 follow right behind at 29 .0 % and Catholics 00:22:45.660 --> 00:22:48.579 are at 24 .0%. But the state is still a major 00:22:48.579 --> 00:22:51.000 center for certain denominations, right? It is. 00:22:51.059 --> 00:22:53.220 Because of its history with immigrants from Northern 00:22:53.220 --> 00:22:55.680 Ireland and Scotland, Pennsylvania still has 00:22:55.680 --> 00:22:57.900 the largest outright membership of Presbyterians 00:22:57.900 --> 00:23:00.140 nationwide. And of course, it's central to the 00:23:00.140 --> 00:23:01.940 Anabaptist communities. And what about the founders 00:23:01.940 --> 00:23:04.180 themselves, the Quakers? They remain a presence, 00:23:04.339 --> 00:23:07.240 but they are a tiny minority today. Only about 00:23:07.240 --> 00:23:10.980 10 ,000 adherents. The legacy is powerful, but 00:23:10.980 --> 00:23:13.099 the demographics have completely changed. That 00:23:13.099 --> 00:23:15.500 history of industry and population growth leads 00:23:15.500 --> 00:23:17.819 right into the state's massive economic footprint. 00:23:18.619 --> 00:23:21.039 Pennsylvania's economic scale is genuinely hard 00:23:21.039 --> 00:23:23.099 to grasp until you look at the comparative data. 00:23:23.319 --> 00:23:25.859 It's a behemoth. The state's gross state product, 00:23:25.920 --> 00:23:31.940 or GSP, is over a trillion dollars. $1 .017 trillion. 00:23:32.299 --> 00:23:35.200 That ranks it as the sixth largest economy among 00:23:35.200 --> 00:23:37.799 all U .S. states. A trillion dollars. To put 00:23:37.799 --> 00:23:39.960 that in global context, if Pennsylvania were 00:23:39.960 --> 00:23:42.519 its own country. It would be the world's 20th 00:23:42.519 --> 00:23:45.099 largest economy. Right up there with nations 00:23:45.099 --> 00:23:48.240 like Turkey or Switzerland. Wow. That's a powerful 00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:50.660 measure of its corporate and industrial might. 00:23:51.019 --> 00:23:53.519 And that power is concentrated. It's home to 00:23:53.519 --> 00:23:56.559 a lot of Fortune 500 companies. 23 of them. And 00:23:56.559 --> 00:23:58.680 that concentration helps anchor the regional 00:23:58.680 --> 00:24:01.420 economies, especially in finance. The history 00:24:01.420 --> 00:24:03.880 of American banking is just inextricably linked 00:24:03.880 --> 00:24:06.920 to Philly and Pittsburgh. Right. The first nationally 00:24:06.920 --> 00:24:09.119 chartered bank was in Philadelphia. The Bank 00:24:09.119 --> 00:24:12.480 of North America in 1781. And then during the 00:24:12.480 --> 00:24:14.799 Civil War, the state became home to the first 00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:17.819 nationally chartered bank under the new 1863 00:24:17.819 --> 00:24:20.660 National Banking Act. That was the first national 00:24:20.660 --> 00:24:23.680 bank of Pittsburgh, which eventually became PNC, 00:24:23.779 --> 00:24:26.359 which is now the nation's sixth largest bank. 00:24:26.480 --> 00:24:28.960 So you can see the state has always been a financial 00:24:28.960 --> 00:24:32.019 keystone. The narrative of Pennsylvania as the 00:24:32.019 --> 00:24:35.140 Rust Belt implies decline. But modern Pennsylvania 00:24:35.140 --> 00:24:37.619 has pivoted brilliantly into some massive niche 00:24:37.619 --> 00:24:40.740 industries, especially in consumables. It's not 00:24:40.740 --> 00:24:43.240 just the Keystone State. It's, and I love this, 00:24:43.339 --> 00:24:45.740 the snack food capital of the world. It sounds 00:24:45.740 --> 00:24:49.579 funny, but the numbers are deadly serious. Pennsylvania 00:24:49.579 --> 00:24:52.259 leads the nation in production of two iconic 00:24:52.259 --> 00:24:55.980 snack foods. First, potato chips. Like oats and 00:24:55.980 --> 00:24:59.539 wise. Exactly. The state makes a quarter of the 00:24:59.539 --> 00:25:02.609 nation's total output. Pretzels are the real 00:25:02.609 --> 00:25:04.609 shocker. Okay, what are the numbers there? The 00:25:04.609 --> 00:25:08.029 state is responsible for a whopping 80 % of the 00:25:08.029 --> 00:25:11.349 nation's total pretzel manufacturing. 80%. 80. 00:25:11.650 --> 00:25:14.410 This goes back to the strong German baking traditions. 00:25:14.470 --> 00:25:17.029 Companies like Sturgis, which basically introduced 00:25:17.029 --> 00:25:20.470 the pretzel to America in 1861, and Snyder's 00:25:20.470 --> 00:25:23.309 of Hanover, they just dominate this sector globally. 00:25:23.549 --> 00:25:25.890 And, of course, you can't forget chocolate. Hershey, 00:25:26.009 --> 00:25:28.170 the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America. 00:25:28.940 --> 00:25:31.059 When you add in beer production, Pennsylvania 00:25:31.059 --> 00:25:33.539 ranks first in barrels produced annually at 3 00:25:33.539 --> 00:25:36.259 .9 million, you realize the state completely 00:25:36.259 --> 00:25:38.740 dominates the American appetite. And beyond snacks, 00:25:38.900 --> 00:25:41.299 what other primary industries are still huge? 00:25:41.769 --> 00:25:43.890 It's the nation's leader in hardwood lumber production. 00:25:44.150 --> 00:25:46.910 It pulls over a billion board feeder using from 00:25:46.910 --> 00:25:49.450 those vast forests we talked about. And in a 00:25:49.450 --> 00:25:52.390 quirky detail, Pennsylvania is number one in 00:25:52.390 --> 00:25:55.569 mushrooms. 68 farms that dominate the sector, 00:25:55.750 --> 00:25:58.509 mostly feeding the whole eastern seaboard. But 00:25:58.509 --> 00:26:00.609 the concentration of manufacturing is shifting 00:26:00.609 --> 00:26:04.059 right away from heavy industry. It is. The old 00:26:04.059 --> 00:26:07.500 centers, Philly, Pittsburgh, Erie, are still 00:26:07.500 --> 00:26:10.140 important. But the Lehigh Valley has emerged 00:26:10.140 --> 00:26:13.640 as this major epicenter for U .S. logistics and 00:26:13.640 --> 00:26:16.299 intermodal transport. So that's the 21st century 00:26:16.299 --> 00:26:19.160 pivot. Instead of forging the steel, the state 00:26:19.160 --> 00:26:21.779 is now optimized for moving the finished goods. 00:26:22.099 --> 00:26:24.940 That's it. Exactly. Its central geographic position, 00:26:25.259 --> 00:26:28.099 the literal keystone between the Midwest and 00:26:28.099 --> 00:26:30.259 the major markets of the Northeast, makes it 00:26:30.259 --> 00:26:32.819 invaluable for modern commerce. for logistics, 00:26:33.200 --> 00:26:35.779 for getting things from point A to point B. But 00:26:35.779 --> 00:26:37.880 that transition from the heavy industrial era, 00:26:37.980 --> 00:26:40.579 especially from King Cole, didn't come without 00:26:40.579 --> 00:26:44.049 a severe ongoing cost. The state's mining legacy 00:26:44.049 --> 00:26:46.569 is a heavy burden today. You have to acknowledge 00:26:46.569 --> 00:26:49.109 the sheer scale of extraction. Since the mid 00:26:49.109 --> 00:26:52.490 1700s, over 15 billion tons of coal were removed 00:26:52.490 --> 00:26:54.869 from Pennsylvania's ground. Production peaked 00:26:54.869 --> 00:26:57.349 in 1918 and the environmental scars are profound. 00:26:57.670 --> 00:27:00.769 And the state has the largest inventory of abandoned 00:27:00.769 --> 00:27:03.990 mines in the U .S. That's a massive problem that 00:27:03.990 --> 00:27:06.740 goes way beyond just how it looks. It's a profound 00:27:06.740 --> 00:27:10.279 crisis. We're talking about over 250 ,000 acres 00:27:10.279 --> 00:27:13.339 of abandoned mine land. And this leads to two 00:27:13.339 --> 00:27:16.700 critical ongoing problems, widespread water pollution 00:27:16.700 --> 00:27:19.660 and ground subsidence. Let's break down the water 00:27:19.660 --> 00:27:21.740 pollution. What is abandoned mine drainage, or 00:27:21.740 --> 00:27:24.799 AMD? AMD is one of the most severe forms of water 00:27:24.799 --> 00:27:27.200 pollution in the state. So when water filters 00:27:27.200 --> 00:27:29.700 through old underground mines and spoils, which 00:27:29.700 --> 00:27:32.079 contain sulfur -bearing minerals, it creates 00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:35.359 sulfuric acid. And that acid leaches heavy metals. 00:27:35.400 --> 00:27:39.579 Exactly. Iron, aluminum. which then get into 00:27:39.579 --> 00:27:42.440 streams and rivers. And the sources confirm this 00:27:42.440 --> 00:27:45.720 has resulted in permanent damage. Over 5 ,000 00:27:45.720 --> 00:27:47.900 miles of streams in Pennsylvania are considered 00:27:47.900 --> 00:27:50.400 permanently polluted by AMD. That's not just 00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:52.680 some rust -colored runoff. That's ecologically 00:27:52.680 --> 00:27:55.519 devastating. It destroys all aquatic life, eliminates 00:27:55.519 --> 00:27:58.000 fishing, and it requires billions of dollars 00:27:58.000 --> 00:28:00.160 in cleanup efforts that are still ongoing. And 00:28:00.160 --> 00:28:02.039 ground subsidence, where the ground just gives 00:28:02.039 --> 00:28:04.220 way, is an ongoing physical threat to entire 00:28:04.220 --> 00:28:06.440 communities, right? It's a constant danger. You 00:28:06.440 --> 00:28:09.049 remove all that underlying... and you're left 00:28:09.049 --> 00:28:12.170 with these vast caverns. When the supports weaken 00:28:12.170 --> 00:28:14.549 or collapse, the ground above just sinks. It 00:28:14.549 --> 00:28:17.049 can damage homes, roads, infrastructure, all 00:28:17.049 --> 00:28:19.730 without warning. It's a huge ongoing challenge. 00:28:19.970 --> 00:28:22.349 So the infrastructure of the state has to be... 00:28:22.640 --> 00:28:25.779 Top tier, given its role as this major east -west 00:28:25.779 --> 00:28:28.319 connector. It's truly designed to fulfill that 00:28:28.319 --> 00:28:31.759 keystone mandate. PendoT, the Department of Transportation, 00:28:32.140 --> 00:28:34.920 owns the fifth largest state highway system in 00:28:34.920 --> 00:28:38.019 the country. They maintain almost 40 ,000 miles 00:28:38.019 --> 00:28:40.480 of roadway. And the Pennsylvania Turnpike is 00:28:40.480 --> 00:28:43.559 often called... the state's spine. It's the critical 00:28:43.559 --> 00:28:47.059 east -west corridor, 535 miles from the Ohio 00:28:47.059 --> 00:28:49.839 border toward Philly and New Jersey. It was actually 00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:51.779 one of the very first long -distance limited 00:28:51.779 --> 00:28:54.180 access highways in the U .S., opening back in 00:28:54.180 --> 00:28:56.559 the 40s and 50s. Rail infrastructure is just 00:28:56.559 --> 00:28:58.339 as important, especially for modern logistics. 00:28:58.680 --> 00:29:01.099 And this is where Pennsylvania excels. The state 00:29:01.099 --> 00:29:02.960 has the highest number of short -line freight 00:29:02.960 --> 00:29:05.539 railroads in the country, 67 of them. And what 00:29:05.539 --> 00:29:08.039 do those do? They're small, independent lines 00:29:08.039 --> 00:29:11.420 that connect industrial sites, farms, mines to 00:29:11.420 --> 00:29:14.019 the major mainline carriers like Norfolk Southern 00:29:14.019 --> 00:29:17.359 and CSX. It makes the state highly adaptable 00:29:17.359 --> 00:29:19.200 for shipping all kinds of specialized freight. 00:29:19.339 --> 00:29:22.400 And for passenger rail, Philly is a major hub. 00:29:22.819 --> 00:29:25.660 Philadelphia's 30th street station is Amtrak's 00:29:25.660 --> 00:29:27.900 third busiest station in the entire country. 00:29:28.519 --> 00:29:31.140 And the Keystone Corridor links Harrisburg and 00:29:31.140 --> 00:29:34.539 Philly with electrified high speed service, integrating 00:29:34.539 --> 00:29:37.619 the state directly into that major eastern rail 00:29:37.619 --> 00:29:40.220 network. And finally, water connectivity is still 00:29:40.220 --> 00:29:42.980 crucial, despite its inland status. Absolutely. 00:29:43.470 --> 00:29:45.230 Pittsburgh, though it's landlocked, is a major 00:29:45.230 --> 00:29:47.589 river port. The Port of Pittsburgh is the second 00:29:47.589 --> 00:29:50.210 largest inland port in the United States by tonnage. 00:29:50.329 --> 00:29:52.210 That's incredible. And here's an impressive detail. 00:29:52.470 --> 00:29:55.210 The Allegheny River Lock and Dam 2 is the most 00:29:55.210 --> 00:29:57.690 used lock operated by the Army Corps of Engineers 00:29:57.690 --> 00:30:02.309 nationwide. out of 255 total. That just underscores 00:30:02.309 --> 00:30:04.470 the immense volume of commerce moving through 00:30:04.470 --> 00:30:07.109 the state's waterways. Let's shift gears to how 00:30:07.109 --> 00:30:09.950 the state is governed and, crucially, how it 00:30:09.950 --> 00:30:12.349 votes. You mentioned the state is governed by 00:30:12.349 --> 00:30:16.750 a dizzying 2 ,562 municipalities. That sounds 00:30:16.750 --> 00:30:18.930 like one of the most complex local governance 00:30:18.930 --> 00:30:21.190 structures in the country. It is a maze. You 00:30:21.190 --> 00:30:23.289 start with 67 counties, and then under that, 00:30:23.349 --> 00:30:25.789 you have this vast array of municipalities. Right. 00:30:25.829 --> 00:30:28.349 The classification system for cities is based... 00:30:28.359 --> 00:30:31.000 entirely on population. So Philadelphia is the 00:30:31.000 --> 00:30:34.000 only first class city. And Pittsburgh and Scranton 00:30:34.000 --> 00:30:36.220 are second class. Right. And everyone else, major 00:30:36.220 --> 00:30:38.299 population centers like Allentown and Reading, 00:30:38.400 --> 00:30:40.240 they're all third class cities. And then you 00:30:40.240 --> 00:30:42.319 have boroughs and townships. What's the practical 00:30:42.319 --> 00:30:44.049 difference for people who live there? So there 00:30:44.049 --> 00:30:47.390 are 958 boroughs. They're generally smaller, 00:30:47.490 --> 00:30:49.769 denser communities, often the original settlements. 00:30:49.869 --> 00:30:52.450 They usually provide more local services than 00:30:52.450 --> 00:30:55.390 townships. And there are over 1 ,500 townships. 00:30:55.390 --> 00:30:57.990 Yes, and they're split into first class and second 00:30:57.990 --> 00:31:00.549 class based on density. But the true beloved 00:31:00.549 --> 00:31:03.529 quirk is Bloomsburg. The lone town in Pennsylvania. 00:31:03.809 --> 00:31:08.009 Yes. Officially incorporated in 1870, Bloomsburg 00:31:08.009 --> 00:31:10.670 is the only incorporated entity in Pennsylvania 00:31:10.670 --> 00:31:14.529 legally called a town. Everything else is a city, 00:31:14.670 --> 00:31:17.309 borough, or township. It just highlights the 00:31:17.309 --> 00:31:19.690 idiosyncratic nature of local government history 00:31:19.690 --> 00:31:22.630 there. If the governance is complex, the tax 00:31:22.630 --> 00:31:25.930 system, especially locally, has become highly 00:31:25.930 --> 00:31:28.009 criticized and really confusing for residents. 00:31:28.349 --> 00:31:30.529 It has. The state level is pretty straightforward. 00:31:31.130 --> 00:31:34.750 a flat 3 .07 % personal income tax, and a standard 00:31:34.750 --> 00:31:37.650 sales tax. The real complexity comes from the 00:31:37.650 --> 00:31:40.609 local wage taxes. Where school districts, boroughs, 00:31:40.630 --> 00:31:43.269 townships can all assess their own tax. That's 00:31:43.269 --> 00:31:45.369 where the trouble starts. Unlike a lot of states 00:31:45.369 --> 00:31:48.170 where local tax collection is centralized, Pennsylvania 00:31:48.170 --> 00:31:50.990 largely outsources this to private, non -governmental 00:31:50.990 --> 00:31:53.309 agencies. The system has been widely described 00:31:53.309 --> 00:31:55.589 as tax farming. That sounds like a historical 00:31:55.589 --> 00:31:57.410 term that shouldn't apply today. Why do they 00:31:57.410 --> 00:31:59.549 do that? These agencies have contracts with the 00:31:59.549 --> 00:32:01.549 local municipalities and they're compensated 00:32:01.549 --> 00:32:03.829 based on the taxes they collect, often including 00:32:03.829 --> 00:32:07.089 penalties and interest. So critics argue it creates 00:32:07.089 --> 00:32:09.049 an incentive for really aggressive collection. 00:32:09.410 --> 00:32:11.230 And the main problem is just sheer confusion. 00:32:11.740 --> 00:32:14.440 Total confusion. If you live in Township A but 00:32:14.440 --> 00:32:16.920 work in Borough B, you have to navigate multiple 00:32:16.920 --> 00:32:19.779 local rules and file with the right private collector 00:32:19.779 --> 00:32:22.980 for your residence and your work. When people 00:32:22.980 --> 00:32:26.039 move or commute across these lines, which is 00:32:26.039 --> 00:32:29.119 incredibly common, they often fail to file with 00:32:29.119 --> 00:32:31.380 the right local collector and then get hit with 00:32:31.380 --> 00:32:34.339 massive failure to file penalties, even if they 00:32:34.339 --> 00:32:36.839 don't actually owe any more tax. So you're penalized 00:32:36.839 --> 00:32:38.779 not for the amount you owe, but for sending the 00:32:38.779 --> 00:32:41.000 form to the wrong place and a private agent. 00:32:41.039 --> 00:32:42.900 agency profits from that confusion. That's it. 00:32:42.960 --> 00:32:45.819 Exactly. And attempts to centralize and simplify 00:32:45.819 --> 00:32:48.579 this at the state level have so far been unsuccessful. 00:32:48.759 --> 00:32:51.380 Which brings us to perhaps the most famous contemporary 00:32:51.380 --> 00:32:54.480 attribute of Pennsylvania. Its identity as the 00:32:54.480 --> 00:32:57.319 crucial swing state. It holds 19 electoral votes, 00:32:57.500 --> 00:32:59.779 making it central to any presidential strategy. 00:33:00.269 --> 00:33:02.950 The volatility is undeniable. Pennsylvania trended 00:33:02.950 --> 00:33:05.029 reliably Democratic in presidential elections 00:33:05.029 --> 00:33:08.349 from 1992 through 2012. Then it flipped Republican 00:33:08.349 --> 00:33:11.829 in 2016, flipped back Democrat in 2020 and, according 00:33:11.829 --> 00:33:14.049 to the sources, swung Republican again in 2024. 00:33:14.410 --> 00:33:16.730 That constant back and forth defines it as the 00:33:16.730 --> 00:33:19.200 ultimate national political battleground. It 00:33:19.200 --> 00:33:21.599 does. And we understand this volatility through 00:33:21.599 --> 00:33:23.859 that political geography famously described by 00:33:23.859 --> 00:33:27.160 James Carville. Philadelphia in the east, Pittsburgh 00:33:27.160 --> 00:33:30.240 in the west, and Alabama in the middle. That 00:33:30.240 --> 00:33:32.900 phrase just vividly paints the state's political 00:33:32.900 --> 00:33:35.539 map. It perfectly describes the T -map that you 00:33:35.539 --> 00:33:38.779 see in almost every statewide election. The top 00:33:38.779 --> 00:33:41.339 bar of the T is formed by the Democratic -leaning 00:33:41.339 --> 00:33:43.839 metro areas and the surrounding river valleys. 00:33:44.000 --> 00:33:46.720 The Delaware Valley, Lehigh Valley, and Greater 00:33:46.720 --> 00:33:48.960 Pittsburgh. That's the blue anchor. But is that 00:33:48.960 --> 00:33:52.460 phrase, Alabama in the middle, an oversimplification 00:33:52.460 --> 00:33:55.940 of the rural interior? Is it uniformly Republican 00:33:55.940 --> 00:33:58.400 or is there still some of that old working class 00:33:58.400 --> 00:34:00.740 union history that complicates it? That's a fair 00:34:00.740 --> 00:34:03.059 challenge. While the vertical stem of the rural 00:34:03.059 --> 00:34:06.119 center is reliably Republican now, it wasn't 00:34:06.119 --> 00:34:08.719 always. Historically, parts of that center had 00:34:08.719 --> 00:34:11.079 strong Democratic ties through industrial unions, 00:34:11.179 --> 00:34:13.280 especially in the coal regions. But those areas 00:34:13.280 --> 00:34:16.159 have shifted overwhelmingly. Overwhelmingly Republican, 00:34:16.579 --> 00:34:19.659 driven by cultural and economic concerns related 00:34:19.659 --> 00:34:22.179 to the decline of those industries. So now you 00:34:22.179 --> 00:34:26.099 have this reliably Republican vertical stem trying 00:34:26.099 --> 00:34:28.480 to counterbalance the immense population density 00:34:28.480 --> 00:34:31.039 of the two urban anchors. And the most fascinating 00:34:31.039 --> 00:34:33.280 dynamic that determines which way that tease 00:34:33.280 --> 00:34:36.420 tilts is the massive shift in the suburbs. That 00:34:36.420 --> 00:34:39.980 suburban volatility is the true key. Historically, 00:34:40.039 --> 00:34:42.579 moderate Republicans used to rely heavily on 00:34:42.579 --> 00:34:45.099 the affluent Philly suburbs, the collar counties. 00:34:45.300 --> 00:34:48.460 Chester, Bucks, Montgomery. Right. Those suburbs 00:34:48.460 --> 00:34:51.440 have now decisively swung Democratic, often due 00:34:51.440 --> 00:34:53.579 to higher education levels and cultural alignment. 00:34:53.659 --> 00:34:56.480 That's a massive loss for the GOP. But at the 00:34:56.480 --> 00:34:59.119 same time, the Pittsburgh suburbs, which were 00:34:59.119 --> 00:35:01.619 historically Democratic. and tidy unions have 00:35:01.619 --> 00:35:03.659 shown a pronounced shift toward the Republican 00:35:03.659 --> 00:35:05.820 column in the 21st century, often aligning with 00:35:05.820 --> 00:35:08.619 national Republican populist and economic messages. 00:35:08.679 --> 00:35:10.860 So it's a massive swap. Democrats gained the 00:35:10.860 --> 00:35:13.039 votes in the East that Republicans lost and Republicans 00:35:13.039 --> 00:35:15.079 gained votes in the West that Democrats lost. 00:35:15.380 --> 00:35:18.260 The net result is this excruciatingly tight, 00:35:18.440 --> 00:35:20.980 oscillating swing state where suburban turnout 00:35:20.980 --> 00:35:23.460 decides everything. Perfectly put. Let's move 00:35:23.460 --> 00:35:26.489 to culture. This diversity in geography and politics 00:35:26.489 --> 00:35:29.610 translates directly into wildly distinct regional 00:35:29.610 --> 00:35:32.269 food traditions. We've established it as the 00:35:32.269 --> 00:35:35.469 snack food capital, but let's talk regional culinary 00:35:35.469 --> 00:35:38.510 identity. You really have three culinary worlds 00:35:38.510 --> 00:35:40.710 here. In Philadelphia, you have the famous classics, 00:35:41.190 --> 00:35:43.989 cheese steaks, hoagies, and then the uniquely 00:35:43.989 --> 00:35:46.369 regional stuff like scrapple. Which is a dense 00:35:46.369 --> 00:35:49.420 mix of pork scraps and cornmeal. It is. And then 00:35:49.420 --> 00:35:51.619 you have the popular Tasty Cake brand. But then 00:35:51.619 --> 00:35:53.760 you move west to Pittsburgh and the identity 00:35:53.760 --> 00:35:56.420 shifts completely. It's defined by Heinz ketchup, 00:35:56.579 --> 00:35:59.079 of course, and these hearty blue -collar classics. 00:35:59.420 --> 00:36:01.760 Primanti Brothers sandwiches with the fries and 00:36:01.760 --> 00:36:04.719 coleslaw right inside. Essential. As are pierogies, 00:36:04.860 --> 00:36:07.039 which reflect the city's deep Eastern European 00:36:07.039 --> 00:36:09.360 roots. And we can't forget the unique Italian 00:36:09.360 --> 00:36:12.019 pizza specialties of Northeast PA. This is a 00:36:12.019 --> 00:36:15.070 deep regional quirk. Outside of Scranton, the 00:36:15.070 --> 00:36:17.710 town of Old Forge has dozens of Italian restaurants 00:36:17.710 --> 00:36:20.550 specializing in what's often called Old Forge 00:36:20.550 --> 00:36:23.150 pizza. Which is rectangular, thick crust, and 00:36:23.150 --> 00:36:26.050 often uses American cheese. Or a blend of cheddar 00:36:26.050 --> 00:36:28.869 and mozzarella. It's this unique deviation that 00:36:28.869 --> 00:36:31.130 reflects the regional palette and shows just 00:36:31.130 --> 00:36:33.429 how varied the food culture is. And then you 00:36:33.429 --> 00:36:35.590 have the Pennsylvania Dutch staples that influence 00:36:35.590 --> 00:36:37.949 the central counties. Things like shuffley pie, 00:36:38.210 --> 00:36:40.969 which is a molasses -based treat, and the tradition 00:36:40.969 --> 00:36:43.630 of eating sauerkraut and pork for good luck on 00:36:43.630 --> 00:36:46.960 New Year's Day. And we have to clarify, Pennsylvania 00:36:46.960 --> 00:36:50.440 Dutch chicken pot pie is actually a thick soup 00:36:50.440 --> 00:36:53.260 with square egg noodles, not the baked dish. 00:36:53.500 --> 00:36:56.159 Sports is another defining identifier, often 00:36:56.159 --> 00:36:58.300 creating these intense rivalries between East 00:36:58.300 --> 00:37:01.820 and West. Philadelphia is often called the nation's 00:37:01.820 --> 00:37:04.449 best sports city. That claim is often backed 00:37:04.449 --> 00:37:07.130 by the sheer concentration of teams and the legendary, 00:37:07.329 --> 00:37:10.449 almost fanatical passion of the fan base. Philly 00:37:10.449 --> 00:37:13.550 has five major league teams, the Eagles, 76ers, 00:37:13.710 --> 00:37:16.710 Phillies, Flyers and the Union in MLS. But while 00:37:16.710 --> 00:37:19.570 Philly has the breadth, Pittsburgh is defined 00:37:19.570 --> 00:37:22.070 by its success. Absolutely. The Steelers have 00:37:22.070 --> 00:37:24.090 six Super Bowls. The Penguins have five Stanley 00:37:24.090 --> 00:37:26.289 Cups. The Pirates have five World Series titles. 00:37:26.510 --> 00:37:29.389 This dual city dominance creates endless cross 00:37:29.389 --> 00:37:31.809 -state tension. There's never a dull moment. 00:37:32.190 --> 00:37:34.829 And beyond the pros, we have to highlight the 00:37:34.829 --> 00:37:37.489 incredible strength of college sports, especially 00:37:37.489 --> 00:37:40.750 football and wrestling. College football is huge. 00:37:41.110 --> 00:37:43.510 Penn State and Pitt are the historic rivals. 00:37:43.869 --> 00:37:46.550 Pitt claims nine national championships. Penn 00:37:46.550 --> 00:37:49.250 State claims two. And Penn State's Beaver Stadium 00:37:49.250 --> 00:37:52.389 is massive, the nation's second largest, seating 00:37:52.389 --> 00:37:56.030 over 106 ,000 people. But wrestling is where 00:37:56.030 --> 00:37:58.610 Pennsylvania is arguably the most dominant force 00:37:58.610 --> 00:38:02.219 in the country. It really is. Coach Kale Sanderson 00:38:02.219 --> 00:38:05.000 has become a dynasty, winning 10 NCAA Division 00:38:05.000 --> 00:38:07.519 I wrestling championships. That's second only 00:38:07.519 --> 00:38:10.320 to Oklahoma State in history. And Lehigh University 00:38:10.320 --> 00:38:13.199 has also produced 28 individual national champions. 00:38:13.539 --> 00:38:15.380 And speaking of dynasties, the Andretti Racing 00:38:15.380 --> 00:38:17.300 family comes from Nazareth in the Lehigh Valley. 00:38:17.619 --> 00:38:20.239 Right. And Pocono Raceway hosts major NASCAR 00:38:20.239 --> 00:38:23.079 and IndyCar events. So motorsports are a strong 00:38:23.079 --> 00:38:25.360 part of the state's culture that often gets overlooked. 00:38:25.659 --> 00:38:27.880 Finally, let's end on a note of recreation and 00:38:27.880 --> 00:38:30.940 accessibility. One impressive fact stands out 00:38:30.940 --> 00:38:32.900 about the state's commitment to public enjoyment. 00:38:33.219 --> 00:38:36.239 Which is that all 121 state parks in Pennsylvania 00:38:36.239 --> 00:38:39.340 offer free admission. That is phenomenal public 00:38:39.340 --> 00:38:41.960 access to that nearly 60 % forested landscape. 00:38:42.260 --> 00:38:45.179 And for outdoor enthusiasts, Pennsylvania offers 00:38:45.179 --> 00:38:47.929 world -class hunting. It's consistently considered 00:38:47.929 --> 00:38:50.170 one of the finest wild turkey hunting states 00:38:50.170 --> 00:38:52.489 in the nation. And it holds the second highest 00:38:52.489 --> 00:38:55.550 number of record black bears, behind only Wisconsin. 00:38:55.889 --> 00:38:58.530 It's a huge boost to the state's economy through 00:38:58.530 --> 00:39:01.230 tourism and licensing. So we have completed our 00:39:01.230 --> 00:39:03.590 deep dive into the Keystone State. We've gone 00:39:03.590 --> 00:39:05.849 from the ancient mysteries of Meadowcroft Rock 00:39:05.849 --> 00:39:09.210 Shelter to William Penn's unique, peaceful founding 00:39:09.210 --> 00:39:12.090 based on radical religious freedom. We've seen 00:39:12.090 --> 00:39:14.849 its profound centrality to the American project, 00:39:15.110 --> 00:39:17.650 hosting the Continental Congresses, ratifying 00:39:17.650 --> 00:39:19.929 the Constitution in two languages to ensure inclusion 00:39:19.929 --> 00:39:22.329 and acting as the turning point in the Civil 00:39:22.329 --> 00:39:24.590 War at Gettysburg. And economically, it shifted 00:39:24.590 --> 00:39:27.130 so violently from that global forge of steel 00:39:27.130 --> 00:39:29.710 and coal to the modern logistics epicenter with 00:39:29.710 --> 00:39:33.289 that surprising niche dominance in snack food. 00:39:33.630 --> 00:39:36.489 And politically, we now understand the state 00:39:36.489 --> 00:39:39.449 through the lens of that volatile, constantly 00:39:39.449 --> 00:39:42.550 shifting team map where the Democratic urban 00:39:42.550 --> 00:39:45.690 populations battle the reliably Republican rural 00:39:45.690 --> 00:39:49.210 center. It is a state of profound, often contradictory 00:39:49.210 --> 00:39:52.130 contrasts. Constantly pulled between its history 00:39:52.130 --> 00:39:55.110 as an industrial power and its future as a demographic 00:39:55.110 --> 00:39:57.929 and logistical hub. Which brings us back to the 00:39:57.929 --> 00:40:00.570 dynamic changes happening right now. Our sources 00:40:00.570 --> 00:40:02.670 show that while state politics are currently 00:40:02.670 --> 00:40:05.210 defined by that urban -rural tea split, we also 00:40:05.210 --> 00:40:07.690 highlighted the recent history of profound demographic 00:40:07.690 --> 00:40:10.650 change. The Hispanic and Latino population grew 00:40:10.650 --> 00:40:13.269 by over 82 percent, and the Asian population 00:40:13.269 --> 00:40:15.449 swelled by almost 60 percent in the last census 00:40:15.449 --> 00:40:17.909 cycle. And critically, both of those rapidly 00:40:17.909 --> 00:40:20.170 growing populations are concentrating heavily 00:40:20.170 --> 00:40:22.429 in the metropolitan and suburban areas that form 00:40:22.429 --> 00:40:25.269 the blue anchors of that T. So the provocative 00:40:25.269 --> 00:40:27.730 thought for you to mull over is this. Given that 00:40:27.730 --> 00:40:30.170 these nonwhite populations are growing so rapidly 00:40:30.170 --> 00:40:32.550 and are concentrated specifically in the metro 00:40:32.550 --> 00:40:35.070 and suburban regions that historically tilt the 00:40:35.070 --> 00:40:37.610 state toward the Democratic column, how rapidly 00:40:37.610 --> 00:40:40.710 will these profound demographic shifts rebalance 00:40:40.710 --> 00:40:42.889 the political power structure in the coming decades? 00:40:43.130 --> 00:40:45.429 And what would a post -T political map of Pennsylvania 00:40:45.429 --> 00:40:49.409 look like? If the people change, the political 00:40:49.409 --> 00:40:52.429 geography simply must change. That's a fascinating 00:40:52.429 --> 00:40:54.449 question for the nation's ultimate swing state. 00:40:54.630 --> 00:40:56.630 That's the deep dive on the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 00:40:56.909 --> 00:40:57.670 Thank you for joining us.