| Pittsburgh is the second largest city in Pennsylvania, | | | | 1794, a charter officially named the city Pittsburgh. |
| with a population of over 310,000. Its downtown | | | | The War of 1812 encouraged American |
| area is a great place for professionals. Forbes | | | | manufacturing, as supplies from Britain were cut off |
| magazine ranked it as the 13th best city for young | | | | completely. The city saw an influx of Welsh |
| workers to live. Pittsburgh ranks 25th in the entire | | | | steelworkers in the 1830s, and by the 1860s |
| country for jobs within the city limits. While it has | | | | Pittsburgh's factories were using over 20,000,000 |
| been known in the past as a manufacturing center | | | | bushels of coal a year. |
| for steel, today Pittsburgh has broadened its horizons. | | | | The steel trade was in full swing by 1875, and U.S. |
| It is now heavily involved in healthcare, technology, | | | | Steel was formed in 1901. By 1911, Pittsburgh was |
| banking, and education. | | | | making almost half of all steel in the United States. |
| While the city has faced struggles as the influence of | | | | The city made 95 million tons of steel during World |
| the steel industry declined in the 1970s, and many | | | | War II, but after the war Pittsburgh started a |
| manufacturing jobs moved overseas, Pittsburgh | | | | clean-air and civic improvement program, "the |
| today is economically strong. Even with the subprime | | | | Renaissance", followed in the 1970s by "the second |
| mortgage debacle, Pittsburgh's housing market has | | | | Renaissance", which was more centered on |
| remained relatively stable. The city has even seen job | | | | neighborhood improvement and cultural development. |
| growth during the recession. | | | | The city's industrial base continued to expand |
| Pittsburgh has a long and storied history, starting its | | | | throughout the 1960s, but imploded in the 1970s with |
| existence as a settlement for European traders in | | | | massive steel mill closures and worker layoffs. |
| the 1700s. Later, the French and the British would | | | | Pittsburgh may have gotten its start as an outpost |
| fight over the area, leading to the French and Indian | | | | for European traders, and later a steel town, but the |
| War. In a treaty signed in 1768, William Penn's | | | | city has definitely come into the 21st century. |
| descendants bought the land from the Iroquois tribes | | | | Pittsburgh now boasts a wide industry base, spanning |
| that owned it. Both Virginia and Pennsylvania laid claim | | | | technology (like robotics), health care, tourism, |
| to the site until 1780, when they agreed to redraw | | | | nuclear engineering, finance, and service-based jobs. |
| the Mason-Dixon line so that it would lie within | | | | Its two largest employers, with a combined 37,000 |
| Pennsylvania. | | | | employees, are the University of Pittsburgh, and the |
| After the American Revolution, the city of Pittsburgh | | | | university's medical center. Pittsburgh's central |
| kept on growing. One of Pittsburgh's first industries | | | | location, its bustling downtown area, its wide variety |
| was to build boats for those who wanted to go up | | | | of employment opportunities, and its great people |
| the Ohio River. The town's boundaries were officially | | | | ensure that the city will enjoy continued prosperity |
| drawn in 1784. After the short "Whiskey Rebellion" of | | | | for many years to come. |