THE KEYSTONE

The word "Keystone" comes from architecture and refers to the central, wedge-shaped stone in the arch which holds all the other stones in place. The use of the term "Keystone State" as applied to Pennsylvania cannot be traced to any single source. Apparently, it came into use shortly after the revolution and was commonly accepted soon after 1800. The early common use of the term may be attributed to the strategic geographical location of Pennsylvania in the origional union dominated by the states of the Atlantic seaboard. Pennsylvania is justified in the view of the key position of Pennsylvania in the economic, social and political development of the United States.