William Penn and the Quakers

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William Penn left his prestigious Anglican family heritage for a less spectacular but obviously more fulfilling Society of Friends (aka the Quakers). King Charles II of England awarded Penn a large section of land in North America to settle a loan debt with Penn’s father.

Penn named this large section of land “Pennsylvania.” The government established for the colony by Penn was similar to that of Roger Williams and Providence. Pennsylvania was a colony wherein the freedom of religion, religious toleration, and fair court trials were realities. The atmosphere of Penn’s Pennsylvania was attractive to a variety of religious groups seeking the cessation of religious persecution and hardship. Penn also treated the Indians in the region with fairness. A treaty was drafted between the Quakers and the Indians. Once again, the relationship between democracy and religion as illustrated above is seriously important in American religious life.

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