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Why did William Penn establish the colony of Pennsylvania?
Persecuted in England for his Quaker faith, Penn came to America in 1682 and established Pennsylvania as a place where people could enjoy freedom of religion. The colony became a haven for minority religious sects from Germany, Holland, Scandinavia, and Great Britain.
Did William Penn help settle Pennsylvania?
William Penn was an English Quaker leader and advocate of religious freedom who oversaw the founding of Pennsylvania as a refuge for Quakers and other religious minorities of Europe.
What is William Penn best known for?
William Penn (October 14, 1644–July 30, 1718) founded the Province of Pennsylvania, the British North American colony that became the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The democratic principles that he set forth served as an inspiration for the United States Constitution.
Who did William Penn give land to?
The Charter King Charles II owed William Penn £16,000, money which his late father Admiral Sir Penn had lent him. Seeking a haven in the New World for persecuted Friends, Penn asked the King to grant him land in the territory between Lord Baltimore's province of Maryland and the Duke of York's province of New York.
Who settled Pennsylvania?
William PennOne of the original 13 colonies, Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn as a haven for his fellow Quakers.
What are 3 facts about William Penn?
Facts about William Penn Undeterred William Penn writes the pamphlet "The Sandy Foundation Shaken." He is sent to the Tower of London without trial at the urging of the Bishop of London. In 1672 he married Gulielma Maria Springett, of a well-known Quaker family. His marriage completed his religious commitment.
Is Pennsylvania named after William Penn?
Penn first called the area "New Wales", then "Sylvania" (Latin for "forests" or "woods"), which King Charles II changed to "Pennsylvania" in honor of the elder Penn.
How did William Penn try to attract new settlers to his colony in Pennsylvania?
What did William Penn think would attract new settlers to his colony in Pennsylvania? The favorable environment and climate.
What was William Penn’s education?
William Penn received a classical education at the Chigwell grammar school in Essex, England, and then matriculated at the University of Oxford (16...
Where did William Penn grow up?
Having spent his early years in the Essex countryside, William Penn moved with his family to London and then to Ireland. After he was expelled from...
What was William Penn’s religion?
Penn rejected Anglicanism and joined the Quakers (Society of Friends), who were subject to official persecution in England. He was the author of a...
What is William Penn best known for?
William Penn was an English Quaker leader and advocate of religious freedom who oversaw the founding of Pennsylvania as a refuge for Quakers and ot...
What was the name of the state that William Penn sailed up?
This land included the present-day states of Pennsylvania and Delaware . Penn immediately set sail and took his first step on American soil, sailing up the Delaware Bay and Delaware River, (past earlier Swedish and Dutch riverfront colonies) in New Castle (now in Delaware) in 1682.
Who was William Penn?
For other uses, see William Penn (disambiguation). William Penn (14 October 1644 – 30 July 1718) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy and religious freedom, ...
Why did Charles II give Penn his land?
In 1681, King Charles II handed over a large piece of his North American land holdings along the North Atlantic Ocean coast to Penn to pay the debts the king had owed to Penn's father, the admiral and politician Sir William Penn. This land included the present-day states of Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Why did William Penn travel to Ireland?
In 1669, Penn traveled to Ireland to deal with many of his father's estates. While there, he attended many meetings and stayed with leading Quaker families. He became a great friend of William Morris, a leading Quaker figure in Cork, and often stayed with Morris at Castle Salem near Rosscarbery .
Why did Penn return home?
Penn returned home for the extraordinary splendor of the King's restoration ceremony and was a guest of honor alongside his father, who received a highly unusual royal salute for his services to the Crown. Though undetermined at the time, the Admiral had great hopes for his son's career under the favor of the King.
How did Philip Ford cheat William Penn?
Making matters worse from Penn's perspective, Philip Ford, his financial advisor, had cheated Penn out of thousands of pounds by concealing and diverting rents from Penn's Irish lands , claiming losses, then extracting loans from Penn to cover the shortfall. When Ford died in 1702, his widow Bridget threatened to sell Pennsylvania, to which she claimed title. Penn sent William to America to manage affairs, but he proved just as unreliable as he had been in England. There were considerable discussions about scrapping his constitution. In desperation, Penn tried to sell Pennsylvania to the Crown before Bridget Ford got wind of his plan, but by insisting that the Crown uphold the civil liberties that had been achieved, he could not strike a deal. Mrs. Ford took her case to court. At age 62, Penn landed in debtors' prison; however, a rush of sympathy reduced Penn's punishment to house arrest, and Bridget Ford was finally denied her claim to Pennsylvania. A group of Quakers arranged for Ford to receive payment for back rents and Penn was released.
What was the purpose of the Pennsylvania Frame of Government?
The democratic principles that he set forth in the Pennsylvania Frame of Government served as an inspiration for the members of the convention framing the new Constitution of the United States in Philadelphia in 1787. As a pacifist Quaker, Penn considered the problems of war and peace deeply.
Who was William Penn?
William Penn, (born October 14, 1644, London, England—died July 30, 1718, Buckinghamshire), English Quaker leader and advocate of religious freedom, who oversaw the founding of the American Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a refuge for Quakers and other religious minorities of Europe. Top Questions.
Where did William Penn live?
Having spent his early years in the Essex countryside, William Penn moved with his family to London and then to Ireland. After he was expelled from the University of Oxford, Penn was sent by his father, Adm. Sir William Penn, on a grand tour of the European continent.
Why did Admiral Penn send William to Ireland?
In 1666 Admiral Penn sent William to Ireland to manage the family estates. There he crossed paths again with Thomas Loe and, after hearing him preach, decided to join the Quakers (the Society of Friends), a sect of religious radicals who were reviled by respectable society and subject to official persecution.
What religion did William Penn follow?
What was William Penn’s religion? Penn rejected Anglicanism and joined the Quakers ( Society of Friends ), who were subject to official persecution in England.
Where did William Penn go to school?
What was William Penn’s education? William Penn received a classical education at the Chigwell grammar school in Essex, England, and then matriculated at the University of Oxford (1660), from which he was expelled (1662) for religious Nonconformity.
When was Penn released?
Penn was released from the Tower in 1669 . Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now. It was as a protagonist of religious toleration that Penn would earn his prominent place in English history.
Where did Admiral Penn send his son to study?
Determined to thwart his son’s religiosity, Admiral Penn sent his son on a grand tour of the European continent and to the Protestant college at Saumur, in France, to complete his studies. Summoned back to England after two years, William entered Lincoln’s Inn and spent a year reading law.
Where did William Penn go?
Penn Goes to Philadelphia — William Penn was very anxious to see the place where his new city had been laid out, and the story is told that he went up the river from Upland in an open boat in early November. Many settlers were there already, and as he passed up by the city front he could see the cave dwellings which had been dug in the river bank. Here [temporary] excavations were made and over them were built roofs of split trees, branches, and twigs, the whole usually covered with sods. The chimneys were made of stones, clay, and river grass. In these cave dwellings lived many of the settlers in some small degree of comfort while their houses were being built, and in one of them, at the foot of Sassafras (now Race) Street, was born John Key, the first English child born in Pennsylvania. Penn made the child a present of a city lot. Penn inspected the site of his new town, still covered with woodland, with much pleasure. Its streets were so far laid out only on paper, but he could see how well nature had fitted the site for a great city. His plan was to have every house built in the middle of a large plot, "so that there may be grounds on either side for gardens or orchards or fields, that it may be a green country town that will never be burned and always wholesome."’ There is little trace of this fine plan in the city today. Most of the early houses were of wood, but some were built of stone and had balconies and porches. The scene was a very busy one as the new town grew in size, the women helping the men in their building work, even sawing wood and carrying mortar.
What was William Penn's grant of land?
Penn's Grant of Land — Admiral Penn was now dead and William had become the heir of his estate. The admiral had loaned King Charles II sixteen thousand pounds, a sum which the king, who spent all the money he could get, was not likely soon to pay back. In 1680 William Penn asked King Charles to grant him a tract of land in America in payment of this debt. This he found the king quite willing to do. It was an easy way to get out of debt by giving away land that belonged to the Indians. At the same time it would kelp him to get rid of those obstinate Quakers who kept his law officers so busy. So he readily gave Penn the land asked for, and by the 4th of March, 1681, the charter to the new province was drawn up and ready to be signed. Penn himself wrote much of it, partly copying from the charter by which Maryland was granted to Lord Baltimore.
Why did William Penn look across the sea?
And now, William Penn began to look across the sea to find a place of refuge for his friends and fellow sufferers. Early Quakers in America — Some Quakers had already made their way to New England, but the Puritans would not have them there.
What was the new land bought from the Indians?
New Land Bought from the Indians — Immigration was so rapid that Penn soon saw the need of more land than that purchased by Markham, and he bought another large tract from the Indians. They were quite willing to dispose of part of their forest in exchange for the goods of the [Europeans], though they would have had no use for money. The story told about this purchase is a tradition and we cannot be sure of its truth. It is stated that in this (or perhaps some other) purchase the land bought was to go as far back as a man could walk in three days. Penn and his friends, with a number of Indians, set out from the mouth of Neshaminv Creek to make the walk, going along in an easy fashion, now and then sitting down to rest and eat their crackers and cheese, and for the Indians to smoke. At the end of a day and a half they had reached a large spruce tree near Baker Creek. The party by this time were tired, so Penn said he had land enough and would leave the remainder for a future day. It was a sad time for the poor Indians when that day came, as will be seen further on.
How was Philadelphia laid out?
Philadelphia Laid Out — During that year three ships loaded with settlers came up the Delaware. Commissioners were also sent over to select a suitable place for the large town which Penn proposed to build. They were told to examine Upland, but they chose for the new town a place farther north, where the Delaware ran close to a high bank, and another river, called Schuylkill by the Dutch, ran into it. Here was to be the city named by Penn [as] Philadelphia, a word which means 'Brotherly Love.' As laid out, it was two miles long, from the Delaware to the Schuylkill, and one mile wide, from Vine Street to Cedar (now South) Street. As is well known, the city many years ago extended beyond these narrow limits.
What was the purpose of William Penn's grant of Delaware?
The Grant of Delaware — Penn was wise enough to see that it would be best to have his province extend to the ocean, and for this purpose the Duke of York gave him the territory now forming the State of Delaware. He had laid out three counties—Philadelphia, Bucks, and Chester—and there were three counties in Delaware which for twenty years formed part of Pennsylvania. Afterwards Delaware got a legislature of its own, but it remained under the governor of Pennsylvania until the Revolution. Over all his grand domain William Penn had almost princely control, his charter giving him much more power than King Charles had kept for himself.
What was the debt of the king of Philadelphia?
For this royal domain all he had to pay the king, aside from the sixteen thousand pounds of debt, was two beaver skins a year and one-fifth of all the gold and silver he should find. As these metals were not found, the beaver skins covered the whole rent. Penn, however, bought from the Indians all the land he used, and he gave the Swedes who had farms on the site of Philadelphia. As much good land elsewhere, for he was too honest to think that the King had any right to give away what did not belong to him, its true owners being the Indians.
Where did Fenwick settle the dispute with Penn?
They landed at a "pleasant rich spot" on the river Delaware, where they commenced a settlement, to which he gave the name of Salem.
Who was the trustee of the New Jersey colony?
At his earnest entreaty, Penn consented to be associated as joint trustee, with two of the creditors, Gawen Laurie, of London, and Nicholas Lucas, of Hertford, to carry out his intentions and render the property available. Penn thus became one of the chief instruments in the settlement of New Jersey, and establishment of a colonial government, which prepared him for the still greater work of founding a colony of his own.
What was the first meeting of the colonists?
The colonists made it their first care, on landing, to establish meetings for Divine worship and Christian discipline. At the place where Burlington now stands, their first meetings were held, under a tent covered with sail-cloth. Here they were kept up regularly at stated times, until John Woolston built his house, which was the first frame house erected in Burlington.
What was the colony of West New Jersey like?
Colonists arrived in considerable numbers, good order and harmony prevailed, the country proved to be productive , the air was salubrious, and the Indians, being treated kindly and dealt with justly, were found to be excellent neighbours. The Friends, who had been persecuted with relentless severity in their native land, found a peaceful and happy asylum in the forests of the new world, among a people who had hitherto been reputed as ruthless savages.
Which part of the province did Carteret settle on?
This arrangement gave to Carteret the settled part of the province on the Passaic and Raritan, and to Penn and his friends the unvultivated portion on the Delaware, then mostly in possession of the Indians.
When was the Constitution of West New Jersey signed?
In order to promote the settlement and proper government of the colony, a constitution was drawn up in the spring of the year 1676 , under the title of "Concessions and Agreements of the Proprietors, Freeholders, and Inhabitants of the Province of West New Jersey," which was subscribed by one hundred and fifty-one names; and in the summer of the same year, a deed of partition was signed between Sir George Carteret on the one part, and Edward Byllinge, William Penn, Gawen Laurie, and Nicholas Lucas on the other part.
Where did the Swedes land in the 6th month?
They came with other passengers, numbering in all 230, in the ship Kent, which arrived at Newcastle the 16th of the 6th month, O.S., and proceeding up the Delaware, landed at Rackoon Creek, where the Swedes had some "scattering habitations, but too few in number to accommodate them all, so that many had to take up their abode in stables, or erect huts in the Indian fashion."
Overview
William Penn (14 October 1644 – 30 July 1718) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful treaties with the Lenape Native Americans.
Biography
William Penn was born in 1644 at Tower Hill, London, the son of English Admiral Sir William Penn, and Margaret Jasper, from the Netherlands and the widow of a Dutch captain and the daughter of a rich merchant from Rotterdam. Admiral Penn served in the Commonwealth Navy during the English Civil War and was rewarded by Oliver Cromwell with estates in Ireland. The lands were seized fro…
Legacy
According to Mary Maples Dunn:
Penn liked money and although he was certainly sincere about his ambitions for a “holy experiment” in Pennsylvania, he also expected to get rich. He was, however, extravagant, a bad manager and businessman, and not very astute in judging people and making appointments... Penn was gregarious, had many fr…
Posthumous honours
On 28 November 1984 Ronald Reagan, by Presidential Proclamation 5284 (authorized by an Act of Congress), declared William Penn and his second wife, Hannah Callowhill Penn, each to be an Honorary Citizen of the United States.
A bronze statue of William Penn by Alexander Milne Calder stands atop Philadelphia's City Hall. When installed in 1894, the statue represented the hig…
See also
• Penn–Calvert boundary dispute
• Nicholas More
Notes
1. ^ "New Castle History". New Castle Crier. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011.
2. ^ Murphy, Andrew R. (2019). William Penn : a life. New York, NY. p. 117–8. ISBN 9780190234249.
3. ^ See An Essay Towards the Present and Future Peace of Europe (1693). Penn is often remembered as the first to envisage a European Parliament. See Daniele Archibugi, William Penn, the Englishman who invented the European Parliament Archived31 …
1. ^ "New Castle History". New Castle Crier. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011.
2. ^ Murphy, Andrew R. (2019). William Penn : a life. New York, NY. p. 117–8. ISBN 9780190234249.
3. ^ See An Essay Towards the Present and Future Peace of Europe (1693). Penn is often remembered as the first to envisage a European Parliament. See Daniele Archibugi, William Penn, the Englishman who invented the European Parliament Archived 31 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine openDemoc…
Further reading
• Dunn, Mary Maples. William Penn: Politics and Conscience (1967)
• Dunn, Richard S. and Mary Maples Dunn, eds. The World of William Penn (1986), essays by scholars
• Endy, Jr., Melvin B. William Penn and Early Quakerism (1973)
External links
• Lesson Plan: William Penn's Peaceable Kingdom
• William Penn Appleton and Klos Biography
• The Life of William Penn by M. L. Weems, 1829. Full-text free to read and search version of Tim Unterreiner biography from 1829 original published in Philadelphia.