F
OCUS
Q
UESTIONS
:
1. Who wasWilliamPenn?
2. How did the colony of Pennsylvania get started?
3. HowwasWilliamPenn’s thinking ahead
of his time?
4. What major ideas did Penn
incorporate into the government
of Pennsylvania?
The formation of
Pennsylvania
is
centered on aman by the name of
WilliamPenn. Williamwas born in
England
on October 24, 1644.
There were no public schools
during this time. Thus, William
was educated by private teachers
and in private schools. While
attending Oxford University, he began
to attendmeetings of a religious
group called the
Society of Friends
,
or
Quakers
. The Quakers believed all
people were equal, whether rich or
poor. They also believed that war and
fighting were wrong.
There was amajor problemwith
William’s actions. At this time in England,
it was the law that everyone belong to the
King’s church, the Church of England. People
who had different religious beliefs than the
King’s, or the Church of England,
were not tolerated. The King did
not approve of the Quakers’
meetings. Because of their beliefs,
many Quakers were sent to jail.
At age 23, William joined the
Quaker religion. Although he was
froma family of wealth, he was
sent to jail several times for his beliefs. However, Penn had charming manners that
allowed him to gain the King’s friendship. Besides, the King owed Penn’s father a
large sumof money. Because of this situation, the King releasedWilliamand his
Quakers from jail.
During the 1600s, kings and queens were
absolutemonarchs
. Their thinking was
that only they had the wisdom, vision, and power to decide the best way for people to
live. People were not created equally, nor did they have any say in how they were
ruled, nor did they have a choice of religion. The disagreement with these ideas
would later become central themes in the formation of the United States government.
LESSON
7
KEY
WORDS
T
HE
F
OUNDING
OF
P
ENNSYLVANIA
Society of Friends
Quakers
absolutemonarchs
persecuted
Penn’s Charter
Frames of
Government
Council
General Assembly
Holy Experiment
Great Law
Treaty of Friendship
Charter of Privileges
KEY
PLACES
Pennsylvania
England
Philadelphia
King Charles II grantedWilliam
Penn the colony of Pennsylvania.
WilliamPenn’s simpler formof dress was in
stark contrast to the fancy clothing of King
Charles II.What are some of the other
differences between these twomen?
30
Understanding Pennsylvania
