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142-547: The overwhelming majority of Syrian immigrants to the U.S. from 1880 to 1960 were Christian , a minority were Jewish , whereas Muslim Syrians arrived in the United States chiefly after 1965. According to the 2016 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, there were 187,331 Americans who claimed Syrian ancestry, about 12% of the Arab population in the United States. There are also sizeable minority populations from Syria in

284-557: A Indigenous Peoples tribe, fished for trout and hunted for deer, grouse, and other game. In 1736, this large area north of Philadelphia was deeded by 23 chiefs of the Five Civilized Tribes to three sons of William Penn , founder of the colonial-era Province of Pennsylvania : John Penn , Thomas Penn , and Richard Penn . The price for the land included shoes, buckles, hats, shirts, knives, scissors, combs, needles, looking glasses , rum, and pipes. On May 18, 1732,

426-504: A vital component used in the manufacturing of steel . The furnace opened in 1847 under supervision of Samuel Lewis, an expert in iron production , and was followed by the opening of other Allentown plants for production of a wide variety of metal products. In 1860, several smaller iron companies merged to create the Allentown Rolling Mill Company, which became Allentown's largest iron company and contributed to

568-544: A civil war, many Christians volunteered in various humanitarian organizations like the Syrian Civil Defence . Throughout the course of the civil war, members of Christian community and religious centres have been attacked, either by pro-Assad forces or militias affiliated with opposition groups. As of 2019, around 61% of churches damaged in the Syrian civil war has been targeted by pro- Ba'athist forces. Out of

710-691: A different Sunday from most other Americans, and various Saints' days. Muslim Syrian Americans celebrate three main Muslim holidays : Ramadan, Eid ul-Fitr (Lesser Bairam), and Eid ul-Adha (Greater Bairam). Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic year , during which Muslims fast from dawn to sunset; Muslims resort to self-discipline to cleanse themselves spiritually. After Ramadan is over, Muslims celebrate Eid ul-Fitr , when Muslims break their fasting and revel exuberantly. Muslims also celebrate Eid ul-Adha (which means The Festival of Sacrifice ) 70 days after at

852-530: A different occupational distribution than all Americans. According to the 2000 census, 42% of the Syrian Americans worked in management and professional occupations, compared with 34% of their counterparts in the total population; additionally, more Syrian Americans worked in sales than all American workers. However, Syrian Americans worked less in the other work domains like farming, transportation, construction, etc. than all American workers. According to

994-666: A high premium on education. Like many other Americans, Syrian Americans view education as a necessity. Generally, Syrian and other Arab Americans are more highly educated than the average American. In the 2000 census it was reported that the proportion of Syrian Americans to achieve a bachelor's degree or higher is one and a half times that of the total American population. Many old Syrian American families have lost their linguistic traditions because many parents do not teach their children Arabic. Newer immigrants, however, maintain their language traditions. The 2000 census shows that 79.9% of Syrian Americans speak English "very well". Throughout

1136-424: A higher median income than all families and lower poverty rates than those of the general population. Further information : Syrian cuisine Syrians consider eating an important aspect of social life. There are many Syrian dishes which have become popular in the United States. Unlike many Western foods, Syrian foods take more time to cook, are less expensive and usually more healthy. Pita bread ( khubz ), which

1278-744: A limited amount of anthracite being mined until 1818, when the company began constructing the Lehigh Canal to transport coal from Mauch Chunk , later renamed Jim Thorpe, down the Lehigh River to the river's confluence with the Delaware River in Easton . The opening of Lehigh Canal in 1818 quickly transformed Allentown and the surrounding Lehigh Valley from a rural agricultural area dominated by German -speaking people into one of America's first urbanized industrialized areas and expanded

1420-520: A major regional and national center for banking and finance. In 1860, William H. Ainey founded Allentown Savings and served as its first president. In 1864, Second National Bank of Allentown was formed, and Ainey was elected its first president, a position he held until his death. Ainey contributed to Allentown's industrial and retail growth, helping finance Iowa Barb Wire Company, which was later absorbed by American Steel & Wire , Pioneer Silk Factory, Palace Silk Mill, and Allentown Spinning Company. In

1562-532: A manufacturer of paper cartridges and muskets for the Continental Army relocated to Allentown from neighboring Bethlehem , and a shop of 16 armourers was established on Little Lehigh Creek , which was used to repair Continental Army weapons and manufacture saddles and scabbards for their use. Allentown holds historical significance as the location where the Liberty Bell , then known as

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1704-634: A piano factory, flour mills, breweries, and distilleries all opened in Allentown during the Civil War era. In 1883, Allentown Boiler Works was founded in Allentown by Charles Collum. Collum and his partner John D. Knouse built a large facility at 3rd and Gordon streets in Allentown's First Ward near the Lehigh Valley Railroad yard near what later became Kline's Island. The company manufactured iron products, some of which were used in

1846-487: A public meeting in Easton to take steps to support the federal government . At the meeting, citizens voted to establish and equip the 1st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry , a new military unit, placing Captain Samuel Yohe of Easton and Thomas W. Lynn in charge and awarding them the respective ranks of colonel and major. Tilghman H. Good of South Whitehall Township , previously captain of the Allentown militia known as

1988-716: A reputation for flamboyance, offering the latest European fashion apparel. The opening of Hess's was following by the opening of a second major department store in the city, the Zollinger-Harned Company, located in the Zollinger-Harned Company Building on Hamilton Street. In the late 19th century, Allentown also emerged as a major center for the beer brewing industry. Notable Allentown breweries included Horlacher Brewery (founded 1897, closed 1978), Neuweiler Brewery (founded 1875, closed 1968), and Schaefer Beer , whose brewery

2130-544: A road from Easton in the east to Reading in the west. The 1753 survey reported that a log house , owned by Allen and built around 1740, existed near the western banks of Jordan Creek . The house was used primarily as a hunting and fishing lodge by Allen, but he also used it to entertain prominent guests, including James Hamilton , his brother-in-law, and John Penn, then governor of the Province of Pennsylvania. In 1752, Northampton and Berks counties were formed; Easton

2272-485: A series of armed revolts by Islamists , mainly members of the Muslim Brotherhood, from 1976 until 1982. In 2023, the country was scored 2 out of 4 for religious freedom, with the government controlling the appointment of Muslim religious leaders, restricted proselytizing, a ban on conversion of Muslims and active terror threats. In the same year, the country was ranked as the 12th most difficult place in

2414-576: A sizeable proportion of Christians, with some churches all over the city, but particularly in the district of Bab Touma (The Gate of Thomas in Aramaic and Arabic ). Masses are held every Sunday and civil servants are given Sunday mornings off to allow them to attend church, even though Sunday is a working day in Syria. Schools in Christian-dominated districts have Saturday and Sunday as

2556-565: A small number of Syrians are members of Western rites. The schisms that brought about the many sects resulted from political and doctrinal disagreements. The doctrine most commonly at issue was the nature of Christ. In 431, the Nestorians were separated from the main body of the Church because of their belief in the dual character of Christ, i.e., that he had two distinct but inseparable " qnoma " ( ܩܢܘܡܐ , close in meaning to, but not exactly

2698-475: A tannery and tan yard, a woolen mill, a card weaving plant, two gunsmiths, two tobacconists, two clockmakers, and two printers. In 1855, the first railroads to reach Allentown were opened, presenting the Lehigh Canal with direct competition for coal transport. Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad ordered four locomotives, and train stations were built in Allentown, Easton , and Mauch Chunk . In September 1855,

2840-413: A visitor in 1783, "One gets a glimpse of many good stone houses, many of them very neat, and everything about the premises shows good order and attention. The people are mainly German who speak bad English and distressing German ." In 1795, the U.S. Gazetteer described Allentown as: A handsome and flourishing town of Northampton County, pleasantly situated on the point of land formed by the junction of

2982-433: A wedding takes place and cements the marriage. Muslims tend to marry other Muslims only, and same with Christians, but can tend to be dynamic in terms of other ethnic groups; Unable to find other suitable Muslim Syrian Americans, many Muslim Syrian American have married other Muslim Americans. Syrian American marriages are usually very strong; this is reflected by the low divorce rates among Syrian Americans, which are below

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3124-788: Is Miaphysite (not monophysite, which is a mistaken term used or was used by the Chalcedonian Catholics and Chalcedonian Orthodox). Of the Eastern Catholic Churches the oldest is the Maronite , with ties to Rome dating at least from the twelfth century. Their status before then is unclear, some claiming it originally held to the Monothelite heresy up until 1215, while the Maronite Church claims it has always been in union with Rome. The liturgy

3266-477: Is homophonic . Syrian music is also characterized by the predominance of vocal music. The prototypical Arabic music ensemble in Egypt and Syria is known as the takht , and relies on a number of musical instruments that represent a standardized tone system , and are played with generally standardized performance techniques, thus displaying similar details in construction and design. Such musical instruments include

3408-516: Is a headscarf worn by Muslim women to cover their hair . There are various styles of hijab . Syrian Americans celebrate many religious holidays, with Christian Syrian Americans celebrating most of the Christian holidays that are already celebrated in the United States, but in addition to a few others or at different times. For example, They celebrate Christmas and Easter , but since most Syrians are Eastern Orthodox, they celebrate Easter on

3550-451: Is a descendant of Syrian immigrants with relatives in Homs . The majority of the early Syrian immigrants arrived in the United States seeking better jobs; they usually engaged in basic commerce, especially peddling. Syrian American peddlers found their jobs comfortable since peddling required little training and mediocre vocabulary. Syrian American peddlers served as the distribution medium for

3692-532: Is a relatively small esoteric monotheistic religious sect. Early Syrian immigrants included Druze peddlers. The United States is the second largest home of Druze communities outside Western Asia after Venezuela (60,000). According to some estimates, there are about 30,000 to 50,000 Druze in the United States, with the largest concentration in Southern California . Most Druze immigrated to the U.S. from Lebanon and Syria. Syrian Jews first arrived in

3834-418: Is a tendency to enunciate the 'v' with open lips, to soften the hard 'g' into 'ch,' and to use too frequently such words as 'already,' 'yet,' and 'once.' Here also are heard such colloquialisms as 'the pie is all,' (all gone) and 'it wonders (mystifies) me.' In October 1945, following the end of World War II , Western Electric opened a plant on Union Boulevard in Allentown. Six years later, on October 1, 1951,

3976-490: Is due to large-scale emigration of Christians to Europe triggered by deteriorating living conditions caused by the civil war . US State Department estimates that Syrian Christians comprise 2.5-3% of the total population inside Syria, as of 2022. The Christian population of Syria comprised 10% of the Syrian population before 2011. Estimates of the number of Christians in Syria in 2022 range from less than 2% to around 2.5% of

4118-565: Is in Aramaic (Syriac). The Patriarchate of Antioch never recognized the mutual excommunications of Rome and Constantinople of 1054, so it was canonically still in union with both. After a disputed patriarchal election in 1724, it divided into two groups, one in union with Rome and the other with Constantinople. The term "Melkite" is in use mostly in reference to the Melkite Greek Catholic Church . Like its sister-church

4260-528: Is round flat bread, and hummus , a dip made of ground chickpeas , sesame tahini , lemon juice , and garlic , are two popular Syrian foods. Baba ghanoush , or eggplant spreads, is also a dish made by Syrians. Popular Syrian salads include tabbouleh and fattoush . The Syrian cuisine includes other dishes like stuffed zucchini ( mahshe ), dolma , kebab , kibbeh , kibbeh nayyeh , mujaddara , shawarma , and shanklish . Syrians often serve selections of appetizers, known as meze , before

4402-803: Is the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch , closely followed by the Maronite Church and the Assyrian Church of the East . There is a small minority of Protestants in the country. In the late Ottoman rule, a large percentage of Syrian Christians emigrated from Syria, especially after the bloody chain of events that targeted Christians in particular in 1840, the 1860 massacre , and the Assyrian genocide . According to historian Philip Hitti , approximately 90,000 Syrians arrived in

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4544-539: Is the third-most populous city in Pennsylvania with a population of 125,845 as of the 2020 census and the most populous city in the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area, which had a population of 861,899 and was the 68th-most populous metropolitan area in the nation as of 2020. Founded in 1762, Allentown is located on the Lehigh River , a 109-mile-long (175 km) tributary of the Delaware River . It

4686-578: Is the largest Oriental Orthodox Christian group in Syria. The Syriac Orthodox or Jacobite Church, whose liturgy is in Syriac , was severed from the favored church of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Orthodoxy), over the Chalcedonian controversy. The Armenian Apostolic Church is the second largest Oriental Orthodox Christian group in Syria. It uses an Armenian liturgy and its doctrine

4828-568: Is the largest of three adjacent cities, including Bethlehem and Easton in Lehigh and Northampton counties, in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. Allentown is located 48 miles (77 km) north of Philadelphia and 78 miles (126 km) west of New York City . In the early 1700s, the area that is present-day Allentown was a wilderness of scrub oak , where the Lenape ,

4970-566: The 1810 U.S. census , the city's population exceeded 700 residents, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania granted Northampton Towne legal standing on March 18, 1811, incorporating it initially as the Borough of Northampton in what was then Northampton County . The new borough's government first undertaking was ordering that cows in the city be moved from public streets to pastures, which proved unpopular with city residents. The following year,

5112-404: The 2000 U.S. census , there are 142,897 Americans of Syrian ancestry living in the United States. New York City has the highest concentration of Syrian Americans in the United States. Other urban areas, including Paterson, New Jersey , Allentown , Boston , Cleveland , Dearborn , New Orleans , Toledo , Cedar Rapids , and Houston have large Syrian populations. The traditional clothing of

5254-602: The 2015 al-Qamishli bombings and the July 2016 Qamishli bombings . In January 2016, YPG militias conducted a surprise attack on Assyrian checkpoints in Qamishli, in a predominantly Assyrian area, killing one Assyrian and wounding three others. More than 120 churches and Christian places of worship have been destroyed since the Syrian civil war began in 2011. In November 2021, the Armenian Catholic Church of

5396-748: The American Medical Association (AMA) and the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), which represents American health care providers of Syrian descent, there are estimated 4000 Syrian physicians practicing in the United States representing 0.4% of the health workforce and 1.6% of international medical graduates. The median household income for Syrian families is higher than the national earning median; employed Syrian men earned an average $ 46,058 per year, compared with $ 37,057 for all Americans and $ 41,687 for Arab Americans . Syrian American families also had

5538-572: The Assyrian Chaldean Catholics . A few Christian Syrian Americans are Protestant . There are also members of the Assyrian Church of the East and Ancient Church of the East . The first Syrian American church was founded in Brooklyn, New York in 1895 by Saint Raphael of Brooklyn . There are currently hundreds of Eastern Orthodox churches and missions in the United States. The first wave of Syrian religious communities in

5680-637: The Eastern communions , which have existed in Syria since the earliest days of Christianity when all Christians were part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. The main Eastern groups are: Even though each group forms a separate community, Christians nevertheless cooperate increasingly. Roman Rite, Western Latin Church Catholicism and Protestantism were introduced by missionaries but only

5822-675: The Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch ('Eastern Orthodox'), the Melkite Catholics both Greek and Arabic in its form of the liturgy . Most of the 375,000 Catholics in Syria belong to the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, the rest are members of the Latin Church, Maronites (52,000), Armenian or Syriac Rites. Seven popes from Syria ascended the papal throne. Many of them lived in Italy . Pope Gregory III ,

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5964-571: The Hatay Province of Southern Turkey (bordering Northern Syria), and have been well represented within the Syrian diasporas of Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, the United States, Canada and Australia. Traditional Christianity in Syria is also represented by Oriental Orthodox communities, that primarily belong to the ancient Syriac Orthodox Church , and also to the Armenian Apostolic Church . The Syriac Orthodox Church

6106-521: The Jordan Creek and Little Lehigh . It is regularly laid out and contains about ninety dwellings, a German Lutheran and a Calvinist (Zion) Church, an Academy and three merchant mills. In 1792, land north of Allentown was purchased by Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company for coal mining , but it initially proved difficult to transport the region's high quality anthracite coal over the primitive trail system that then existed, resulting in only

6248-526: The Lehigh River . The bridge featured two suspended lanes, one for east and one for westbound traffic, and a toll house at the bridge's western end. In 1829, Lehigh Canal , a 46.6 miles (75.0 km)-long canal on the Lehigh River's east side, was completed for both ascending and descending navigation. Its construction was the most important factor in making anthracite coal , one of the nation's most important domestic and industrial fuels, available to

6390-502: The Politics of Syria . Many Syrian Christians are public sector and private sector managers and directors, while some are local administrators, members of Parliament, and ministers in the government. A number of Syrian Christians are also officers in the armed forces of Syria. They have preferred to mix in with Muslims rather than form all-Christian units and brigades, and fought alongside their Muslim compatriots against Israeli forces in

6532-484: The President of Syria has to be a Muslim; this was as a result of popular demand at the time the constitution was written. However, Syria does not profess a state religion. On 31 January 1973, Hafez al-Assad implemented the new constitution (after reaching power through a military coup in 1970), which led to a national crisis. Unlike previous constitutions, this one did not require that the president of Syria to be of

6674-790: The Syrian military for launching indiscriminate attacks of Syrian cities and civilian areas; blaming the Ba'athist government for triggering the emigration of a third of Syrian Christians. A week after issuing the statement, the Archbishop got abducted and has remained forcibly disappeared , allegedly on the orders of the Assad regime. Ba'athist regime has also passed a discriminatory military conscription law which enables government authorities to seize properties of Syrians and their families accused of draft evasion . The law disproportionately targets Sunni and Christian families across Syria, who constitute

6816-462: The Union Army to defend the nation amidst the Civil War's escalation. On August 5, 1861, Andrew Gregg Curtin , Pennsylvania's Civil War -era governor, granted Tilghman H. Good authority to create the 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment , a new unit commonly known as the 47th Pennsylvania Volunteers. Good secured help from William H. Gausler of Allentown, who was commissioned as a major with

6958-410: The oud , kanun , rabab , ney , violin , riq , and tableh . The Jews of Syria sang pizmonim . Traditional dress is not very common with Syrian Americans, and even native Syrians; modern Western clothing is conventional in both Syria and the United States. Ethnic dance performers wear a shirwal , which are loose, baggy pants with an elastic waist. Some Muslim Syrian women wear a hijab , which

7100-589: The 124 documented incidents of violence against Christian religious centres between 2011 and 2019; 75 attacks were perpetrated by militant forces loyal to the Assad regime and 33 by various factions of the opposition . Various human rights organizations have criticized the regime for deliberately launching large-scale attacks on Christian churches and arresting Christian citizens. In April 2013, Yohanna Ibrahim , Archbishop of Syrian Orthodox Church in Aleppo, condemned

7242-626: The Allen Rifles and commander of the 4th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment , was placed in charge of the 1st Pennsylvania's Company I, which included his former Allen Rifles subordinates and members of the Jordan Artillerist, another Allentown-based militia. In April 1861, these Allentown units were deployed in response to President Lincoln's call for 75,000 volunteers to defend the national capital in Washington, D.C. , following

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7384-607: The Apostle and St. Peter the Apostle , Syria quickly became a major center of early Christianity and produced many significant theologians and church leaders. Of the 325 bishops who took part in the First Council of Nicea in 325 AD, twenty were from Syria. Over the centuries, Syrian Christians have played a vital role in shaping Christian thought and practice, contributing to the development of various liturgical traditions, monastic movements, and theological schools. St. Paul

7526-488: The Apostle famously converted to Christianity on the road to Damascus , and Syria has produced three Popes : Pope Anicetus (157–168 AD), Pope Sergius I (687-701), and Pope Gregory III (731–741 AD). Their legacy includes the establishment of some of the most ancient churches, monasteries, and pilgrimage sites, such as the 5th century remains of the Church of Saint Simeon Stylites , Our Lady of Saidnaya Monastery , and

7668-549: The Cathedral of Constantine and Helen. However, in recent times, the Syrian Christian community has faced numerous challenges, including ongoing and severe persecution , displacement , and emigration . Christians in Syria made up about 10% of the pre-war Syrian population but now makes up less than 2%, falling from 1.5 million in 2011 to just 300,000 in 2022 due to widespread persecution by Islamic terrorists and

7810-719: The Catholic Church. Today called the Eastern Catholic churches, they retain a distinctive language, canon law and liturgy. The largest Christian denomination in Syria is the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch (officially named the Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East), also known as the Melkite church after the 5th and 6th century Christian schisms, in which its clergy remained loyal to

7952-491: The Confederate bombardment of Fort Sumter. After the Civil War's end, many of these soldiers were named Pennsylvania First Defenders in recognition of their role as one the first five units to answer Lincoln's call for volunteers to defend the national capital. After protecting Washington, D.C., from April to July 1861, they were honorably discharged and returned home. However, a significant number of them reenlisted with

8094-562: The Delaware and prevailing in the Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776, Continental Army commander George Washington and his staff traveled through Allentown, where they proceeded up present-day Lehigh Street , then called Water Street. They stopped at the foot of the street at a large spring at the present-day Wire Mill. There, Washington and his troops rested and watered their horses, and then proceeded to their post of duty. In 1777,

8236-717: The Eastern Roman Emperor (" melek ") of Constantinople . Adherents of that denomination generally call themselves " Rūm " which means "Eastern Romans" or "Asian Greeks" in Arabic . In that particular context, the term "Rūm" is used in preference to " Yūnāniyyūn " which means "European Greeks " or Ionians in Classical Arabic . The appellation "Greek" refers to the Koine Greek liturgy used in their traditional prayers and priestly rites. Members of

8378-462: The Islamic faith, leading to fierce demonstrations in Hama , Homs and Aleppo organized by the Muslim Brotherhood and the ulama . They labeled Assad as the "enemy of Allah" and called for a jihad against his rule. Robert D. Kaplan has compared Assad's coming to power to "a Jew becoming tsar in Russia - an unprecedented development shocking to the Sunni majority population which had monopolized power for so many centuries." The government survived

8520-462: The Logos took on an instance of humanity as His own in one nature. They were the precursors of the present-day Syrian and Armenian Orthodox churches. By the thirteenth century, breaks had developed between Eastern or Greek Christianity and Western or Latin Christianity. In the following centuries, however, especially during the Crusades, some of the Eastern churches professed the authority of the pope in Rome and entered into or re-affirmed communion with

8662-429: The Martyrs in Raqqa's city center was rebuilt by the aid group called the Free Burma Rangers. Following a visit to Syria, to participante in a conference that brought together representatives of the Syrian churches and NGOs working with them in the country, Regina Lynch, project director for Aid to the Church in Need , described the difficult situation the local communities endure, but added that "for many Christians,

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8804-425: The Penns' influence prevailed and the county seat remained in Easton. The city's original organization, whose archives are now housed at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, included 42 city blocks and 756 lots, most of which were 60 feet (18 m) in width and 230 feet (70 m) in depth. The city was initially located between present-day 4th and 10th streets and Union and Liberty streets and

8946-474: The State House Bell, was successfully hidden for nine months by American patriots to avoid its capture by the British Army after the fall of Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War . After George Washington's defeat at the Battle of Brandywine in Chadds Ford Township, Pennsylvania on September 11, 1777, the revolutionary capital of Philadelphia was left defenseless and American patriots began preparing for what they saw as an imminent British attack on

9088-450: The U.S. , were motivated to pursue the American Dream of economic success. Many Christian Syrians had immigrated to the U.S. seeking religious freedom and an escape from Ottoman hegemony, and to escape the massacres and bloody conflicts that targeted Christians in particular, after the 1860 Mount Lebanon civil war and the massacres of 1840 and 1845 and the Assyrian genocide . Thousands of immigrants returned to Syria after making money in

9230-401: The U.S. formally entering World War I in 1917. The British nicknamed Mack AC 's five and seven-ton trucks the "Bulldog". Mack eventually grew to have eight manufacturing plants in Allentown and adopted the bulldog as it corporate brand. Beginning in the early 20th century, Syrian Christians from the region of Wadi al-Nasara ('the Christian Valley') began settling in Allentown, initially

9372-401: The U.S. including Jews, Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians, and Circassians. The earliest known Syrian and first Arab to die for the United States was Private Nathan Badeen, an immigrant from Ottoman Syria who died fighting British forces during the American Revolutionary War on May 23, 1776, a month and a half prior to American independence. The first major wave of Syrian immigrants arrived in

9514-413: The Union's preservation during the Civil War. Beginning in the late 18th century, the city began to slowly grow as a hub for commerce and industrialization and as a colonial-era population center. Prior to the American Revolution, there were 54 homes in Northampton Towne and approximately 330 residents. In 1782, there were 59 houses and over 100 cows were stabled in the town. The town was described by

9656-561: The United States around 1908 and settled mostly in New York. Initially they lived on the Lower East Side ; later settlements were in Bensonhurst and Ocean Parkway in Flatbush, Brooklyn . The Syrian Jewish community estimates its population at around 50,000. Jewish organizations have assisted Syrian refugees by providing various services in Northern New Jersey . Early Syrian Americans were not involved politically. Business owners were usually Republican , meanwhile labor workers were usually Democrats . Second generation Syrian Americans were

9798-496: The United States between 1899 and 1919 (more than 90% of them Christians). The Syrians referred include historical Syria or the Levant encompassing Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine. Syrian Christians tend to be relatively wealthy and highly educated . According to the Catholic charity group Aid to the Church (ACN), number of Christians residing in Syria is estimated to have reduced from 2.1 million (10% of population) in 2011 to around 300,000 (less than 2%) in 2022. The decrease

9940-420: The United States chiefly after 1965. The largest sect in Islam is the Sunni sect, forming 74% of the Muslim Syrian population, of whom 12% are ethnic Kurds and 5% Turks. The second largest sect in Islam in Syria is the Alawite sect, a religious sect that originated in Shia Islam but separated from other Shiite Islam groups in the ninth and tenth centuries. Druze form the third largest sect in Syria, which

10082-425: The United States established ninety Maronite, Melkite, and Eastern Orthodox churches across the country by 1920, many establishing firm contrasts between themselves and American Christian faiths such as the Episcopalians or Catholics. Historian Naff writes that as a broad global diaspora threatened the Syrian identity, the preservation of its religious traditions became increasingly important. Muslim Syrians arrived in

10224-554: The United States from Ottoman Syria in the period between 1889 and 1914. A small number were also Palestinians. According to historian Philip Hitti , approximately 90,000 "Syrians" arrived in the United States between 1899 and 1919. An estimated 1,000 official entries per year came from the governorates of Damascus and Aleppo , which are governorates in modern-day Syria, in the period between 1900 and 1916. Early immigrants settled mainly in Eastern United States , in

10366-456: The United States in the period between 1961 and 2000, of which ten percent have been admitted under the refugee acts. Between 2011 and 2015, the U.S. received 1,500 Syrian refugees fleeing the war in their country . In 2016, the country received 10,000 more refugees. However, the Trump administration banned Syrian migration to the U.S., as well as the migration of any refugee in 2017. According to

10508-476: The United States, there are schools which offer Arabic language classes; there are also some Eastern Orthodox churches which hold Arabic services. Christianity in Syria Christianity in Syria has among the oldest Christian communities on Earth, dating back to the first century AD , and has been described as a "cradle of Christianity". With its roots in the traditions of St. Paul

10650-449: The United States. By 1910, the first Syrian millionaires had emerged. Syrian Americans gradually started to work in various métiers; many worked as physicians , lawyers , and engineers . Many Syrian Americans also worked in the bustling auto industry, bringing about large Syrian American gatherings in areas like Dearborn, Michigan . Later Syrian emigrants served in fields like banking, medicine, and computer science. Syrian Americans have

10792-582: The United States. However, the quotas were annulled by the Immigration Act of 1965 , which opened the doors again to Syrian immigrants. 4,600 Syrians immigrated to the United States in the mid-1960s. Due to the Arab-Israeli and religious conflicts in Syria during this period, many Syrians immigrated to the United States seeking a democratic haven, where they could live in freedom without political suppression. An estimated 64,600 Syrians immigrated to

10934-520: The United States; these immigrants told tales which inspired further waves of immigrants. Many settlers also sent for their relatives. Although the number of Syrian immigrants was not sizable, the Ottoman government set constraints on emigration in order to maintain its populace in Greater Syria. The U.S. Congress passed the Immigration Act of 1924 , which greatly reduced Syrian immigration to

11076-477: The average rates in the United States. Generally, Syrian American partners tend to have more children than average American partners; Syrian American partners also tend to have children at early stages of their marriages. According to the United States 2000 Census , almost 62% of Syrian American households were married-couple households. Syrian Americans, including the earliest immigrants, have always placed

11218-535: The basement of Zion Reformed Church at present-day 622 Hamilton Street in Center City Allentown , just prior to Philadelphia's September 1777 fall to the British. In 1803, the city, whose mail had previously been received in neighboring Bethlehem , had a post office established inside Compass and Square Hotel in the present-day Penn National Bank building at 645 Hamilton Street in Allentown. In

11360-622: The cities of New York, Boston , Detroit , Cleveland , and the Paterson, New Jersey , area. Until 1899, all migrants from the Ottoman Empire registered as "Turks" when entering the U.S. When "Syrian" became available as a designation at the turn of the 20th century, 3,708 migrants from the region registered as Syrians, only 28 as Turks. In the 1920s, the majority of immigrants from Mount Lebanon began to refer to themselves as Lebanese instead of "Syrians". Syrians, like most immigrants to

11502-464: The city and the greater Lehigh Valley region's emergence as a major source for iron ore. In 1850, Leh's , a shoe and ready-to-wear clothing store, was opened in the city by Henry Leh. By 1861, with the Civil War commencing, Leh's emerged as a major source of military boots for the Union Army . In addition to Leh's, eight brick yards, a saw mill, a paint factory, two additional shoe factories,

11644-466: The city became part of Lehigh County , which was partitioned from a western section of Northampton County. Throughout the early 1800s, the city grew primarily as a court and market town. Northampton Bank, the city's first bank located at the northeast corner of Center Square, was chartered in July 1814, and the first Hamilton Street Bridge, a 530 feet (160 m)-long chain structure, was constructed over

11786-435: The city emerged in present-day Center City , which was then referred to as downtown Allentown. At least seven cinemas and stage theaters were developed on Hamilton Street between 5th and 10th streets. By the mid-1960s, Allentown's economy had been booming for decades but the city's rising taxes and regulations prohibiting expansion of the city's geographic limits began leading many of the city's residents, especially those in

11928-402: The city near the Lehigh River. Two years later, in 1843, Northampton Bank failed following excessive speculation by the bank, resulting in financial ruin for many bank customers. Five years later, on June 1, 1848, a large fire burned down most of Allentown's central business district between 7th and 8th streets on Hamilton Street. During the 1850s, however, the city began recovering. A new bridge

12070-525: The city of Homs . Assyrian Democratic Organization (ADO), an Assyrian opposition group affiliated with the Syrian National Revolutionary Coalition (SNRC), estimated that approximately two-thirds of Syrian Christians had left the country by 2021. The estimate was also verified by other Christian organizations in Syria. During the Syrian civil war, several attacks by ISIS have targeted Syrian Christians, including

12212-434: The city's commercial and industrial capacity. With this, Allentown underwent significant industrialization , ultimately becoming a major center for heavy industry and manufacturing. Allentown's industrial development accelerated in the late 18th century. David Deshler, Allentown's first shopkeeper, opened a sawmill in the city in 1782. By 1814, industrial plants in Allentown included flour mills, sawmills, two saddle makers,

12354-462: The city's lax zoning and city codes. With Allentown's neighborhoods and school system declining, the city focused on attempting to develop its Hamilton Street retail district, largely ignoring Allentown neighborhoods not located in Center City. This also exacerbated the flight of Allentown families to the city's suburbs, leading to the development of shopping centers and services to accommodate

12496-713: The city. Pennsylvania's Supreme Executive Council ordered that 11 bells, including the State House Bell, now known as the Liberty Bell, and ten other bells from Philadelphia's Christ Church and St. Peter's Church , be taken down and moved out of Philadelphia to protect them from the British Army , which would melt the bells down to cast into munitions. The bells were transported north to present-day Allentown by two farmers and wagon masters, John Snyder and Henry Bartholomew, and then hidden under floorboards in

12638-531: The community sometimes also call themselves "Melkites", which literally means "supporters of the emperor" in Semitic languages - a reference to their past allegiance to Roman and Byzantine imperial rule. But, in the modern era, this designation tends to be more commonly used by followers of the local Melkite Catholic Church . Syrians from the Greek Orthodox Community are also present in

12780-616: The company manufactured and released the world's first transistor , which was produced at the Allentown-based plant, and the Allentown-based company emerged as a leader in the nation's post-war electronics revolution. By the mid-20th century, Allentown was a major retailing and entertainment center distinct and separate from Philadelphia and New York City . Hess's, Leh's, and Zollinger department stores led to retail sector growth in Allentown, and dozens of smaller retail stores, restaurants, hotels, banks, and professional offices in

12922-574: The construction of high-profile construction projects, including the building of the White House in Washington, D.C. , and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point . The company's boilers and kilns were used for the production of iron products sold nationally and internationally, including to customers in Canada , Cuba , and the Philippines . Brickworks flourished in Allentown through

13064-610: The defense of the nation's capital following Lincoln's assassination on April 15, 1865. Other known Union Army units from Allentown included the 5th, 41st, 128th , and 176th Pennsylvania Infantries. On October 19, 1899, Allentown erected and dedicated the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at Hamilton and S. 7th streets in the Center City , where it still stands, in honor of these Union soldiers from Allentown and local Lehigh Valley towns and boroughs who were killed in defense of

13206-644: The demand in these expanding suburban communities. In 1966, Whitehall Mall , the first closed shopping mall north of Philadelphia, opened in Whitehall Township. Ten years later, in 1976, the even larger Lehigh Valley Mall opened north of U.S. Route 22 in Fullerton . Stores in Allentown's downtown shopping district began closing, replaced with stores whose customers were less affluent. Large areas of Allentown's downtown were subsequently razed and replaced with parking lots. The downtown business district

13348-528: The departure of many Christians from the country amidst the Syrian civil war . In the first five years after the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, at least half of Syria's Christians had left the country, but as the situation began to stabilize in 2017 following recent army gains, return of electricity and water to many areas and stability returning to many government controlled regions, some Christians began returning to Syria, most notably in

13490-609: The early 20th century. Pennsylvania Guide , compiled by the Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration , described the Pennsylvania Dutch community's impact on Allentown's linguistic landscape, reporting in 1940 that: Allentown is among the few large Pennsylvania cities where newspapers still carry columns written in the dialect. Although English predominates on the streets, there

13632-597: The end of World War I . The clay unearthed in various sections of Allentown and the city's suburbs proved suitable in manufacturing building brick and fire brick . Bricks were the first Allentown products shipped by rail and sold nationally. A vibrant food processing industry began emerging in Allentown following the arrival of predominantly German immigrant bakers, who were among Allentown's first settlers. In 1887, Wilson Arbogast and Morris C. Bastian formed Arbogast and Bastian, which provided large scale commercial slaughtering. With industrialization, Allentown emerged as

13774-575: The end of the Islamic year, a holiday which is held along with the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Hajj . Many Syrian Americans prefer traditional relationships over casual dating. For example, Syrian Muslims only date after completing their marriage contact, known as kitabat al-kitab (Arabic: كتابة الكتاب, which means "writing the book" in English), a period that ranges from a few months to a year or more to get used to living with one another. After this,

13916-621: The first Syrian immigrants in the United States, along with their occupation as peddlers , led to some xenophobia . Scholars such as Oswaldo Truzzi have speculated that this work ultimately helped Syrian integration into the United States by accelerating cultural contact and English language skills. It has been estimated that nearly 80% of first generation Syrian women worked as street merchants. They and their children were often negatively stigmatized as "street Arabs" or inaccurately assumed to be unmarried mothers or prostitutes. In 1907, Congressman John L. Burnett called Syrians "the most undesirable of

14058-617: The first generation of Syrian migrants also faced romantic stereotyping for their Christian origins. The migrant and writer Mary Amyuni described being advised to describe her home as "the Holy Land " to ease her integration into the United States: "hold up the rosaries and crosses first; say they are from the Holy Land because Americans are very religious". Writers such as Horatio Alger and Mark Antony De Wolfe Howe contributed to

14200-663: The first regions to receive Christianity during the ministry of St Peter . There were more Christians in Damascus than anywhere else. With the military expansion of the Islamic Umayyad empire into Syria and Anatolia , non-Muslims who retained their native faiths were required to pay a tax ( jizya ) equivalent to the Islamic Zakat , and were permitted to own land; they were, however, not eligible for Islamic social welfare as Muslims were. Damascus still contains

14342-897: The first to be elected for political roles. In light of the Arab–Israeli conflict , many Syrian Americans tried to affect American foreign policy by joining Arab political groups in the United States. In the early 1970s, the National Association of Arab-Americans was formed to negate the stereotypes commonly associated with Arabs in American media . Syrian Americans were also part of the Arab American Institute , established in 1985, which supports and promotes Arab American candidates, or candidates commiserative with Arabs and Arab Americans, for office. Mitch Daniels , who served as Governor of Indiana from 2005 to 2013,

14484-474: The impact of the Syrian Civil War . Christians in Syria have also been subjected to violence and discrimination by Islamic State fighters during their control of large areas of the country. Their churches have been converted into military headquarters, and their property confiscated. Persecution of Christians in Syria has further intensified since. In Aleppo , the country's second largest city,

14626-407: The land was deeded by Thomas Penn to Joseph Turner , an iron manufacturer and politician from Philadelphia. Two years later, on September 10, 1735, a 5,000-acre (20 km ) part of the land was purchased from Turner's business partner by William Allen , a wealthy shipping merchant and former mayor of Philadelphia . The land was surveyed in 1736 and again in 1753 as part of an effort to construct

14768-481: The late 1870s, Allentown's iron industry collapsed, leaving the city economically depressed. Efforts were made to diversify the city's industrial base, including convincing Phoenix Manufacturing Company to open a silk mill in Allentown. Adelaide Mill at Race and Court streets prompted the opening of Pioneer Silk Mill in 1886, and the city quickly emerged as a national leader in silk manufacturing. The silk industry grew to ultimately become Allentown's largest industry in

14910-587: The late 19th century and remained the city's largest industry through the end of the 20th century. In 1914, there were 26 silk mills in the city. By 1928, after the introduction of rayon , the number of Allentown silk mills grew to 85, and over 10,000 people were employed in the Allentown silk industry at the industry's height in the 1940s. In 1896, Max Hess, a retailer from Perth Amboy, New Jersey , visited Allentown and set about developing Allentown's first department store. He and his brother Charles opened Hess Brothers at 9th and Hamilton streets. Hess's developed

15052-707: The latter part of the 20th century, presenting a major challenge to Allentown's city government and the Allentown School District as it confronted greatly diminished resources. Allentown School District's financial challenges, in turn, further increased the working class flight to Allentown's suburbs, creating a sea change in the city's demographics. With the departure of many working-class families from older Center City neighborhoods , many homes were sold to landlords who converted them into inexpensive multifamily apartments, many of which became government-subsidized housing projects that were permitted under

15194-546: The local militias fell on the people, and requisitions for food, grain, cattle, horses, and cloth were common. During the Revolutionary War, Hessian prisoners of war were kept in Allentown in the vicinity of present-day Seventh and Gordon streets. Allentown also housed four hospital structures, including one at Zion Reformed Church and one on the grounds of the present-day Farr Building , that were used in treating wounded Continental Army troops. After crossing

15336-403: The main course. Za'atar , minced beef , and cheese manakish are popular hors d'œuvre . Syrians are also well known for their cheese . A popular Syrian drink is the arak beverage . One of the popular desserts made by Syrians is the baklava , which is made of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and soaked in honey . One of the first Syrian-Americans to popularize Levantine cuisine

15478-529: The nation's largest industrial markets in New York City , Philadelphia , and elsewhere. In 1855, the first railroad was built on the Lehigh River's west side, and rail soon began to surpass river transport as the means for transporting anthracite through the city. In 1838, the city's name was officially changed to Allentown. But it soon faced major challenges. In 1841, a flood swept away Hamilton Street Bridge and inflicted substantial damage on areas of

15620-708: The only Pennsylvania regiment to fight in the Union Army 's 1864 Red River campaign across Louisiana . While sustaining numerous casualties during the Red River campaign in the spring of 1864, the 47th Pennsylvania helped turn the Civil War in the Union's favor with victories in General Sheridan's 1864 Shenandoah Valley campaign across Virginia, including in the Battles of Berryville , Opequan , Fisher's Hill , and Cedar Creek and then again contributing to

15762-449: The possibility of both identities in public discourse, including Syrian academic Abbas Bajjani, who wrote that "inhabiting two separate worlds—physically and socially—was not only possible but actually desirable, since it was the only hope for the salvation, edification, and modernization of "Syria". Additionally, military service during World War I and World War II helped accelerate assimilation . Assimilation of early Syrian immigrants

15904-492: The possibility that women street merchants with children could be deported. However, Syrians reacted quickly to assimilate fully into their new culture. Immigrants Anglicized their names, adopted the English language and common Christian denominations. Syrians did not congregate in urban enclaves; many of the immigrants who had worked as peddlers were able to interact with Americans on a daily basis. Aside from negative stigmas,

16046-490: The post- World War II baby boom generation , to flee Allentown for its suburbs. Salisbury , South Whitehall , and Whitehall townships each had large areas of farmland that were prime locations for residential real estate development. Much of Allentown's working class began migrating to these newer, less-expensive housing developments in Allentown's suburbs, which offered lower taxes, more green space, less crime, and newer schools. This demographic trend continued throughout

16188-571: The products of small manufacturers. Syrian peddlers traded mostly in dry goods, primarily clothing. Networks of Syrian traders and peddlers across the United States aided the distribution of Syrian settlements; by 1902, Syrians could be found working in Seattle, Washington . Most of these peddlers were successful, and, with time, and after raising enough capital, some became importers and wholesalers, recruiting newcomers and supplying them with merchandise. By 1908, there were 3,000 Syrian-owned businesses in

16330-565: The proportion of Christian residents fell from 12% pre-war to 1.4% in 2023 with more than 20 churches damaged during the war. The city of Idlib has been almost entirely depopulated of its Christian population under Islamist rule . Some governments and organisations including the United States have claimed that the persecution of Christians in the Middle East and North Africa , especially in Syria and Iraq , constitute an act of genocide . The country's largest Christian denomination

16472-524: The railroad became operational with the Central Railroad of New Jersey providing transport between Allentown and New York City . Transport between Allentown and Philadelphia was made available through Perkiomen Railroad, which operated between Norristown and Freemansburg . In the 1840s, iron ore beds were discovered in hills around Allentown, and a furnace was constructed in 1846 by Allentown Iron Core Company for production of pig iron ,

16614-559: The regiment's central command staff, and John Peter Shindel Gobin , a senior officer with the Sunbury Guards in Northumberland County , who was repeatedly cited for valor and was promoted to colonel and ultimately commanding officer of the regiment. Companies A and E of the regiment were recruited primarily from Easton and Northampton County; Companies B, G, I, and K were largely recruited from Allentown; Company C

16756-431: The result of missionary activity in their villages by Pennsylvanian missionaries. The Syrian community eventually became a significant component of the city, largely concentrated in Allentown's Sixth Ward. There were an estimated 5,200 Americans of Syrian descent in Allentown and the Lehigh Valley in 2015. Like several other regions in Pennsylvania, Allentown residents continued speaking Pennsylvania German well into

16898-433: The same as, hypostasis ), the human Jesus and the divine Logos. Therefore, according to Nestorian belief, Mary was not the mother of God but only of the man Jesus . The Council of Chalcedon , representing the mainstream of Christianity, in 451 confirmed the dual nature of Christ in one person; Mary was therefore the mother of a single person, mystically and simultaneously both human and divine. The Miaphysites taught that

17040-458: The same study Christian of Druze background (Druze converts to Christianity ) still regard themselves as Druze , and they claims that there is no contradiction between being Druze and being Christian . The number of Christians in Syria has been disputed for many decades. There has been no official census on religion in Syria since the 1960s. Christianity in Syria 1956 Damascus was one of

17182-591: The total Syrian population. Most Syrians are members of either the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch (700,000), or the Syriac Orthodox Church . The vast majority of Catholics belong to the Melkite Greek Catholic Church . Other Eastern Catholic churches include the Maronite Church , Syriac Catholic Church , Armenian Catholic Church , Chaldean Catholic Church ; there is also a small number of Latin Church Catholics. The rest belong to

17324-469: The understanding of Syrian migrants as "redeemable peasants". This view pressured Syrians to reject old ways of life as "un-American" and to "accept new ideals". Immigrant writers often balanced an adopted culture with a home culture, such as in Ameen Rihani 's 1911 " The Book of Khalid ", which revolved around an imagined Arabic text inscribed with images of skyscrapers and pyramids. Others argued for

17466-628: The undesirable peoples of Asia Minor " and such stigmas appear again in a 1929 survey in Boston that associated Syrians with "lying and deception". In 1890, the writer Jacob Riis wrote How the Other Half Lives , a book focused on Syrian children, representing the children as pitiful but dangerous. In 1899, the National Conference on Charities declared children engaged in the street market to be equivalent to begging, opening

17608-452: The various Arab–Israeli conflicts of the 20th century. In addition to their daily work, Syrian Christians also participate in volunteer activities in the less developed areas of Syria. As a result, Syrian Christians are generally viewed by other Syrians as an asset to the larger community. In September 2017, the deputy Hammouda Sabbagh , a Syriac Orthodox Christian and member of the Ba'ath Party ,

17750-438: The vast majority of the Syrian refugee population. According to various reports, the total population of Syrian Christians residing in Syria has been reduced from 1.5 million before 2011 to around 300,000 as of 2022 (less than 2% of population). Rather than the persecution by IS during 2014-17, the decline has been mainly due to large-scale emigration of native Christians due to subsequent deterioration of living conditions in

17892-418: The war has had a positive effect on the faith, and, in spite of everything, it has been an opportunity for the Church to put its teaching on charity and forgiveness into action". Prominent Christian figures have been involved in revolutionary activities of the Syrian opposition ; through peaceful demonstrations as well as armed resistance . After the deadly clampdown launched by Assad regime deteriorated into

18034-412: The war-torn country. Many rural and young Christians view emigration to Europe as a way to advance career opportunities in education and employment, in addition to providing better prospects for their families. Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown ( Pennsylvania Dutch : Allenschteddel , Allenschtadt , or Ellsdaun ) is the county seat of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania , United States. It

18176-476: The weekend, while the official Syrian weekend falls on Friday and Saturday. Christians engage in every aspect of Syrian life and Syrian Christians are relatively wealthy and more highly educated than other Syrian religious groups. Following in the traditions of Paul , who practiced his preaching and ministry in the marketplace , Syrian Christians are participants in the economy, the academic, scientific, engineering, arts, and intellectual life, entertainment, and

18318-455: The world to be a Christian. Christians spread throughout Syria and have sizable populations in some cities/areas; important cities/areas are: Syrian Christians, in line with their fellow citizens, have been badly affected by the Syrian Civil War . According to Syrian law, all Syrian men of adult age with brothers are eligible for military conscription , including Christians. Christian population in Syria has significantly diminished due to

18460-439: Was Helen Corey , who published the bestselling The Art of Syrian Cookery in 1962. Syrian music includes several genres and styles of music ranging from Arab classical to Arabic pop music and from secular to sacred music . Syrian music is characterized by an emphasis on melody and rhythm , as opposed to harmony . There are some genres of Syrian music that are polyphonic , but typically, most Syrian and Arabic music

18602-505: Was built across the Lehigh River, and brick buildings were constructed to replace wooden ones that were burned in the 1848 fire. In 1852, the first Allentown Fair , now one of the nation's longest continual annual fairs, was held. On April 13, 1861, with tensions between the nation's North and South intensifying following the South's secession and the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter , residents of Lehigh and Northampton counties called

18744-458: Was elected speaker of parliament with 193 votes out of 252. Syrian Christians are more urbanized than Muslims; many live either in or around Damascus , Aleppo , Homs , Hama , or Latakia . In the 18th century, Christians were relatively wealthier than Muslims in Aleppo. Syrian Christians have their own courts that deal with civil cases like marriage, divorce and inheritance based on Bible teachings. The Constitution of Syria states that

18886-629: Was formed by Allentown-area patriots. Following the Declaration of Independence 's unanimous signing by the Second Continental Congress , British governing control in Allentown began to break down as patriot militias expanded their resistance. The patriot militias also pressured Tories out of the city, and expanded their ranks, which were ultimately incorporated into the Continental Army . The burden of supplying

19028-464: Was initially named Northampton Towne. Many streets on the original plan were named for Allen's children, including Margaret (present-day 5th Street), William (now 6th Street), James (now 8th Street), Ann (now 9th Street), and John (now Walnut Street). Allen Street (now 7th Street), the city's main street, was named for Allen himself. Hamilton Street was named for James Hamilton, deputy governor of colonial-era Pennsylvania from 1748 to 1754. Gordon Street

19170-514: Was later acquired by Pabst and Guinness and is now owned by Boston Beer Company , brewer of Samuel Adams beer . In 1905, Jack and Gus Mack moved Mack Trucks , their motor company, from Brooklyn to Allentown, taking over the foundries of Weaver-Hirsh on South 10th Street. By 1914, Mack Trucks developed a global reputation for manufacturing sturdy and reliable trucks and vehicles. Many were sent to Western Front battlefields in France prior to

19312-469: Was named for Patrick Gordon , an earlier deputy governor of colonial Pennsylvania. Chew Street was named for Benjamin Chew , and Turner Street was named for Allen's business partner Joseph Turner. Allen hoped that the city would displace Easton as the seat of Northampton County and become a major national center for commerce due to its location along the Lehigh River and its proximity to Philadelphia, which

19454-474: Was named the county seat of Northampton County, and Reading the county seat of Berks County. In 1762, the land, including present-day Allentown, was named and laid out by Allen. A rivalry between the Penns and Allen may have inspired Allen to acquire the land and found the city. In 1763, a year after Allentown's founding, an effort was made by Allen and others to move the county seat from Easton to Allentown, but

19596-470: Was rebuilt in an attempt to compete with the newer suburban shopping locations. A multiblock row of stores known as Hamilton Mall was developed, featuring newly covered sidewalks and managed traffic patterns. But the effort was unsuccessful, and two of the city's major department stores, Leh's and Zollingers, were forced to close by 1990. The third, Hess's, was sold to The Bon-Ton in 1994, which closed its Hamilton Mall location two years later in 1996. In 1993,

19738-599: Was recruited from Northumberland and Juniata counties; Company F was primarily composed of men from Catasaqua ; and Companies D and H were recruited from Perry County . The 47th Pennsylvania Volunteers achieved Union victories at the Battle of St. Johns Bluff in Florida (October 1–3, 1862) before suffering a costly defeat in the Second Battle of Pocotaligo in South Carolina (October 21–23, 1862). They were

19880-515: Was so successful that it has become difficult to recognize the ancestors of many families which have become completely Americanized . Christian Syrians arrived in the United States in the late 19th century. Most Christian Syrian Americans are Greek Orthodox , Eastern Catholic , and Syriac Orthodox . There are also many Catholic Syrian Americans; most branches of Catholicism are of the Eastern rite , such as Maronite Catholics , Melkite Greek Catholics , Armenian Catholics , Syrian Catholics , and

20022-828: Was the last pope born outside Europe before Francis (elected in 2013). In Syria, there is also a minority of Protestants . Protestantism was introduced by European missionaries and a small number of Syrians are members of Protestant denominations. The Gustav-Adolf-Werk (GAW) as the Protestant Church in Germany Diaspora agency actively supports persecuted Protestant Christians in Syria with aid projects. A 2015 study estimates some 2,000 Muslim converted to Christianity in Syria, most of them belonging to some form of Protestantism. By one estimate made by Elisabe Granli from University of Oslo , around 1,920 Syrian Druze converted to Christianity , according to

20164-557: Was then the nation's largest and most influential city. In 1767, Allen granted the land to his son James. Allentown played a central role in both inspiring the American Revolution and supporting the subsequent Revolutionary War . Some of the first Patriot resistance to British colonialism in the Thirteen Colonies began in and around present-day Allentown. On December 21, 1774, a Committee of Observation

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