About
William Penn (1644-1718) was an English colonist, founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, and Quaker writer. Expelled from Oxford for religious nonconformity, he converted to Quakerism in 1667 and was imprisoned several times for his writings. In 1681, King Charles II granted him a charter for Pennsylvania in repayment of a debt. Penn established absolute religious freedom, an elected government, and peaceful relations with Native Americans. He founded Philadelphia, the first planned city in the American colonies, and wrote essays on peace and colonial union.
Major works
- No Cross, No Crown (1669)devotional work
- Some Account of the Province of Pennsylvania (1681)pamphlet
- Frame of Government (1682)constitution
- Some Fruits of Solitude (1693)collection of aphorisms
- An Essay Towards the Present and Future Peace of Europe (1693)essay
Key milestones
- 1681Received the charter for Pennsylvania from King Charles II.
- 1682Founded Philadelphia and drafted the Frame of Government.
- 1701Issued the Charter of Privileges granting extensive self-governance to Pennsylvania's assembly.
Themes
Religious freedomDemocratic governmentPeace and non-violenceRelations with Native AmericansUrban planning
Sources: catalogues.royalsociety.org · britannica.com · loc.gov