C H A P T E R 5
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William Penn Starts the
Colony of Pennsylvania
W
ith this chapter, we begin the
study of how William Penn
started
his
colony
of
Pennsylvania. In the 1680s, only kings
and queens ruled their countries in
Europe. They did not allow the common
people a say in how the government
should work. They did not allow people
to worship as they pleased. Kings
and queens told the people in which
religion to believe.
They did not allow the people to
express opinions. An opinion is
something you believe in or think. They
did not allow any individual freedoms.
Freedommeans to have choices in what
you think andbelieve. Tohavebeliefs that
were different from the king or queenwas
to invite a quick trip to jail or death.
In the 1680s, no other place on earth
promised any freedoms for the people.
Another word that means freedom is
liberty. Liberty ispart of our statemotto. It
was unheard of to think that common
people could rule themselves. Our story
begins with how William Penn was the
first person to give the common people
some freedoms. Todo this, he had to start
a new colony inNorthAmerica.
We will learn how the colony of
Pennsylvania got its name. We will also
learn how the colony was started. It was
not easy to begin a new colony. It took
muchplanningand courage.Wewill learn
the influence that William Penn had on
our freedoms and our way of life.
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Chapter 5
Trees had to be cleared for the Philadelphia settlement.
