William Penn Essay - 727 Words

William Penn William Penn was born and raised in England, but he is well known for what he did in the Americas. First and foremost, William Penn was a religious nonconformist and writer: he wrote numerous religious books over his lifetime. Second, Penn is responsible for the â€Å"holy experiment†: the colony of Pennsylvania. He was a Quaker advocate, and as a proprietor had the opportunity to practice the Quaker Peace testimony. Penn was interested in religion from the time he was a child. When he was twelve years old he had the opportunity to hear testimony from a traveling Quaker minister, Thomas Loe. Penn was touched by Loe’s message, and sought the ‘authentic Christian message’ rather then focusing on ‘institutional’ religion. At the†¦show more content†¦He wanted to get the word out about his religion and he wasn’t going to be discouraged. After William was released, he wrote Innocency with Her Open Face, and wrote a number of other works on his Quaker faith. In 1681, Penn and 11 other Quakers brought the Proprietary rights to east New Jersey. King Charles II owed Penn’s father, Admiral Sir William Penn, and in return Penn persuaded the king to grant him a â€Å"vast province on the west bank of the Delaware River† (Samuel, 2000). It was named Pennsylvania, which means Penn’s woods, after his father. Penn decided that his colony was going to be different from the rest of the colonies in that they were going to be a Quaker based colony. He believed in a â€Å"divine right of government† and formed the government of Pennsylvania as a â€Å"holy experiment† in governing. This type of government is considered being ahead of its time as it set forth a representative form of government. The penal system was designed to reform not just punish, and â€Å"all prisoners except capital prisoners were entitled to bail, work houses were substituted for dungeons and the death penalty was limited to murder and treason †. Also, Penn instituted public education and designed Philadelphia and other towns to promote health and fire safety. Being that Penn was in charge of the colony, he was given the opportunity to practice the Quaker Peace Testimony. He realized that a lot of the land that he was living onShow MoreRelatedWilliam Penn Summary2561 Words   |  11 PagesWilliam Penn Summary and Legacy John A. Morettam author of William Penn and the Quaker Legacy, presents William Penns life in a very informational and positively biased story through his years. He looks majorily on the side that William Penns decisions were right and that his childhood and young adulthood, founding of Pennsylvania, and in his later years his selling of Pennsylvania were all done well. William Penn accomplished a lot and was an esteemed gentleman, and the author really portaysRead MoreWilliam Penn Essay2985 Words   |  12 PagesWilliam Penn and the Quaker Legacy For many Americans, William Penn is just known as the Quaker leader who founded Pennsylvania and for his ‘Holy Experiment’. Penn’s achievements were far greater than just the founding of a colony. He had devotion and spirit and love for the Quaker sect and in turn spent his whole life trying to get others to see the good in Quakerism and create toleration for the religion. In the biography of William Penn and the Quaker Legacy, John Moretta asserts that WilliamRead MoreWilliam Penn And A New Society1878 Words   |  8 PagesWhat did William Penn envision for his society, and what kept his society from developing into what he wanted and being successful long-term? William Penn and A New Society Nearly a century before the original 13 colonies were declared as independent, William Penn initiated the colony Pennsylvania that bore its own independence based on individual and religious freedom. He is recognized as one of the seventeenth century s most devoted advocates of liberty of conscience. Although establishing aRead MoreEssay on Colonization of Pennsylvanis by William Penn1298 Words   |  6 Pagesequally great men. William Penn, for example, is one of these great men. William Penn and his accomplishments changed the way we think about the early colonization of America. Penn founded Pennsylvania as well as Philadelphia, which became the greatest city in the new world. Penn was devoted to religious freedom. Most early settlers only wanted to convert people but Penn wanted tolerance for all religions. Penn also developed important legislature, for that time. William Penn was a great QuakerRead MoreWilliam Penn American Hero Essay1490 Words   |  6 Pages Should William Penn be a heroic figure to American history? Throughout British proprietary colonization of the Americas, there were many different motives for claiming American soil by those whom were audacious enough to consider the prospect of funding a distant statehood. Penn claimed to see his colony as a â€Å"holy experiment† (page XIII); who differed from its â€Å"peers† in the respect that it had intent to provide refuge to those whom faced religious persecution, even so, t he â€Å"devout† Quaker, eventuallyRead MoreWilliam Penn John Winthrops Goals in Colonization Essay610 Words   |  3 Pagesled by William Penn, were escaping persecution from England but each they had their own views and goals in religion, politics, and ethnic relations. Being on the native land of the local Indians, both Penn and Winthrop had to face issues and negotiations with the Indians. Penn and Winthrop had their own separate approaches to politics but they both sought a more just system than the one in England. After being persecuted, both Penn and Winthrop wanted their people to be free worship, but Penn and WinthropRead MoreThe Colonial Settlements Of The Quakers1753 Words   |  8 PagesQuakers, who are also known as the Society of Friends, who settled in New Jersey and Pennsylvania in colonial times. The history surrounding the establishment and growth of the Quaker colonies of West Jersey and Pennsylvania will be discussed. William Penn’s efforts in establishing the colonies of West Jersey and Pennsylvania were paramount to Quakers immigrating to America. John Fenwick also played a major role in founding the colony of West Jersey, which is now known as New Jersey and the laterRead MoreElizabeth I And Later The English Monarchs Essay1662 Words   |  7 PagesPennsylvania. William Penn s laws would help expand, but also limit, religious freedom in Pennsylvania. In the 1670s Penn helped to transform the struggle politically and intellectually, and his contribution is present in the framing of Government and the early laws of Pennsylvania. As the state of Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn in 1682, Penn s life was all about his opposition to persecution for religion. As a safe place for Quakers to live and practice their faith. ‘’Penn welcomed settlersRead MoreElizabeth I And Later The English Monarchs Essay1687 Words   |  7 PagesPennsylvania. William Penn s laws would help expand, but also limit, religious freedom in Pennsylvania. In the 1670s Penn helped to transform the struggle politically and intellectually, and his contribution is present in the framing of Government and the early laws of Pennsylvania. As the state of Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn in 1682, Penn s life was all about his opposition to persecution for religion. As a safe place for Quakers to live and practice their faith. ‘’Penn welcomed settlersRead MoreA History Of The Gilpin Family2181 Words   |  9 Pagesintegral part of American History since their arrival in 1695. The family, who arrived, as part of an initial large wave of Quakers in America, carved out a place in American, more specifically Quaker History. Coming to America, at the invitation of William Penn, and deeply embroiled in significant events in American History, the Gilpin s were early founders of Pennsylvania. Their Quaker background proved to be of primary importance in precisely how the family participated in important events, like