<Tr> <Td> Pennsylvania </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Today part of </Td> <Td> United States </Td> </Tr> <P> The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as the Pennsylvania Colony, was founded in English North America by William Penn on March 4, 1681 as dictated in a royal charter granted by King Charles II . The name Pennsylvania, which translates roughly as "Penn's Woods", was created by combining the Penn surname (in honor of William's father, Admiral Sir William Penn) with the Latin word sylvania, meaning "forest land ." The Province of Pennsylvania was one of the two major Restoration colonies, the other being the Province of Carolina . The proprietary colony's charter remained in the hands of the Penn family until the American Revolution, when the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was created and became one of the original thirteen states . </P> <P> The colonial government, established in 1682 by Penn's Frame of Government, consisted of an appointed Governor, the proprietor (William Penn), a 72 - member Provincial Council, and a larger General Assembly . The General Assembly, also known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly, was the largest and most representative branch of government, but had little power . </P>

What type of colony was pennsylvania when it was founded