How a king-size debt created Pennsylvania

On this date 341 years ago, King Charles II gave the land now known as Pennsylvania to a British scion and Oxford University outcast named William Penn.

In no time, Penn’s powers were rankling the colony’s early government, and Penn was openly telling legislators to, you know, relax a little. 

They didn’t, and by 1710, Penn was ready to put England in charge. 

But before he could, Penn was sidelined by a stroke and his wife, Hannah, took the reins, followed by their sons and grandsons, followed by a revolution that ushered in a new form of government and, for all intents and purposes, Pennsylvania as we know it. Here's a quick Penn primer: 

• King Charles II gave Pennsylvania to William Penn to settle a £16,000 debt owed to Penn’s father. That’s more than £3 million today.
   
• Penn didn’t like the name “Pennsylvania,” a mashup of his name and the Latin word for woods, because he thought it made him look like a narcissist. He tried unsuccessfully to change it, implying in a letter that he wasn’t above bribery.
   
• Penn's descendants were hard hit by the illnesses of that era, so much so that anyone claiming family ties today is probably wrong. "You may be related in a 15th-cousin-three-times-removed situation," historian Todd Galle told the news site Billy Penn, "but you’re not inheriting Pennsylvania."
   
• If you live in the top third of Pennsylvania, you’re on land that Connecticut once claimed. The Mason-Dixon Line was created during a similar dispute with Maryland.
   
• As a Quaker and pacifist, Penn maintained relatively good relations with Pennsylvania's indigenous people and paid them for land he later sold to colonists. Penn's sons were a different story and oversaw a swindle that led to an unsuccessful lawsuit 267 years later.
   
• Penn's legacy was more complicated than some accounts suggest: Even as his fellow Quakers protested against slavery, Penn kept at least 12 enslaved people at his Pennsbury Manor estate.

—Colin Deppen, Spotlight PA

» One thing we learned this week: Pennsylvania has an official state song that somehow led to rock band The Bloodhound Gang trying to countermand an act of the General Assembly in 2005.

» One thing worth reading: A deep dive about a down-on-his-luck doctor who bought a supposedly haunted New Castle mansion, opened it to the public, and regretted it almost immediately, via Truly*Adventurous.

» One thing worth watching: A series about the real-life theft of $50,000 worth of bugs from Philly's insectarium. "Bug Out" is streaming now.

» One thing to know: Long-sought service additions could finally be coming to Amtrak's Pennsylvanian line, TribLIVE reports.

» One thing that made us smile: This honest Pennsylvania road sign that's all set to announce some tourist attractions but can't think of any.

Normally, we'd share a fish fry recipe here ('tis the season), but instead, here's one for a spicy tartar sauce that few churches or fire stations — or even restaurants, frankly — will carry. 

For the lightest lift, add a little sriracha to your favorite tartar sauce. If you're feeling more ambitious, try this, via Away From The Box.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped finely 
• 3 sweet petite pickles, roughly chopped
• 1 large lemon's worth of zest and juice
• 1 tablespoon sriracha (or more/less to suit your taste)

Instructions: 

• Combine the mayonnaise, shallot, parsley, pickles, lemon, and sriracha in a small bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving, to let the flavors meld. Season with salt as needed.
• Store in the fridge for up to three days.