Pennsylvania's Capitols and Leaders

29 million acres were given to Penn by King Charles II of England in 1681. As Pennsylvania's proprietor, Penn intended to bestow religious and political freedom, perhaps plant "the seed of a nation."

The executive and judicial branches of government would be under Penn and his family's jurisdiction, and the people would have their own Legislature. Initially all free men would be legislators in a town-hall fashion. When advisers warned against this, Penn formulated a one-house General Assembly.

Forty-two members attended its first meeting in a small structure at Upland, near Chester.

In following years, the Assembly met in Philadelphia's Town Hall, various meeting houses, or occasionally in private homes.

When Penn departed Pennsylvania in 1701, the House of Representatives was the most powerful and independent legislative body in America, little inclined to be submissive to Penn or his British governors.

In the early 1700s, the Assembly began plans for its own State House located in Philadelphia. The House purchased the land in 1729 from its Speaker, the great lawyer Andrew Hamilton, who then designed what today is revered as Independence Hall. Chief Clerk Benjamin Franklin oversaw its construction, one of his innumerable accomplishments in his 60 years of public service.

The Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution and two Pennsylvania Constitutions were written at Independence Hall. The State Supreme Court met there for 70 years, and the Pennsylvania Senate was founded there in 1790.

At the end of the Revolution, frontiersmen like Representative Albert Gallatin of Fayette County campaigned for more representation for their fast-growing regions and to have the state capitol moved farther inland.

Gallatin, who earned a national reputation as a father of the United States Bill of Rights, a founder of the Democratic Party and a United States Treasury Secretary, also served in the State House from 1790-1795. There he was distinguished for drafting legislation and the budget, as well as convincing western Pennsylvanians to establish counties rather than a separate state.

Independence Hall  

During the War of 1812, state government moved to the banks of the Susquehanna River at Harrisburg. There, on land given by John Harris and his son-in-law, Representative William Maclay, the Commonwealth built its first Capitol structure. Dedicated in 1822, the Redbrick Capitol was the seat of government until it burned down in 1897.

The most famous figures of the Redbrick Capitol era were Representative James Buchanan and Representative Thaddeus Stevens.

Buchanan, of Lancaster, served two one-year terms, 1815-1816, where he learned, "There are no enemies in politics, only potential allies."

The taciturn constitutional lawyer went on to the United States House and Senate, was foreign minister to Russia and England, and completed his 30 years as leader of the Pennsylvania Democrats by becoming the only native son of the Commonwealth to be President of the United States, 1857-1860.

Stevens was a Representative from Adams County who served eight years between 1833-1841. A highly effective Floor Leader, Stevens conceived original ideas which he aggressively propelled into law. He founded Pennsylvania Public Education, and was an early leader of the Republican Party.

Stevens also served 14 years in the United States Congress, and is credited with drafting and incorporating of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments for civil rights. A congressman during President Buchanan's administration, he was the most powerful member of the opposition.

Redbrick Capitol -- 1822-1897 Redbrick Capitol in Flames The Senate's reputation for unruffled propriety met the test the day the Redbrick Capitol burned. On Feburary 2, 1897 the Senate attended to the morning calendar, but called a temporary recess when the chamber began to fill with smoke. As the Senators were returning after lunch, the Chief Clerk rushed in exclaiming, "Get out your buckets." First, Majority Leader John C. Grady moved to formally adjourn until the following morning. The Capitol, however, was burning in at least 20 places, and within hours was reduced to rubble. The Senate and House temporarily held session in the Grace United Methodist Church, still standing on State Street in Harrisburg. The Senate Session opened with a gavel made of wood rescued from the burned Capitol.

When the impressive 1906 Capitol opened, Pennsylvania was expanding rapidly. Its steel, coal and railroad industries were booming. The state accepted new responsibilities in education, highways, welfare and mental health.

Senator William C. Sproul, a leading capitalist, entered the Senate at age 26 as a Republican from Delaware County and served 22 years.

He was Senate President Pro Tempore, 1903-1905, and in 1911 authored the Sproul Highway Act. He then served as Governor from 1919-1922, where he and his legislative partners established the Welfare Department and the Historical Commission.

Representative Harry W. Bass was the first African American elected to the General Assembly in 1911 and served two terms. Born in West Chester, the son of a bootmaker, Bass graduated from Lincoln University and earned law degrees from Howard University and the University of Pennsylvania. He was an active sponsor of legislation for civil rights and education.

Although women had staff positions in the Capitol since 1873, the first women were not elected to state office until 1922, when eight were elected to the House of Representatives.

Flora M. Vare was the first woman elected Senator in 1924. Senator Vare was among four family members from South Philadelphia to serve in the Senate.

While the modern Legislature continues to produce powerful leaders, Senator M. Harvey Taylor, a Republican from Dauphin, is likely to be the last "boss." Taylor served 24 years and was President Pro Tempore for a record 18 years from 1947 to 1964.