The son of an English revolutionary, William Penn was a central figure in the early days of America and laid the basis for religious freedom in the country. Born October 14, 1644, Penn came to the New World in his 50s after a lifetime of public service and a comfortable domestic life.

Unlike many notable early Americans, Penn came from a wealthy and politically influential family and had a great interest in the puritan religion. He did not adhere to commonly held beliefs of his fellow Englishmen, getting kicked out of Oxford University an institution backed by the Church of England. His marriage to a Quaker woman in 1672 completed his spiritual transition.

In his position as a lawyer, Penn advocated against the injustices faced by followers of the Quaker faith successfully winning a number of cases. It culminated with his part in establishing jury trials and the toleration of religion in New Jersey. Penn is best remembered for his “holy experiment” and the establishment of Pennsylvania as both a capitalist and spiritual adventure.

Most of the land for Penn’s colony was successfully negotiated away from the Native Americans without violence in the 17^th century. Pennsylvania claimed the equality and religious freedom of all the inhabitants both native and landed. The colony was operated as part democracy part dictatorship with Penn expecting his suggestions to be followed by the elected officials.

Penn’s public life was full of conflict from challenges to his authority, laws and loyalties to his insurmountable debts. He spent a few years in prison because of his allegiance to King James II and because of his economic troubles. Penn didn’t move permanently to Pennsylvania until after the English revolution in 1699.

After moving to the colonies, Penn focused on mending ties with both the natives and among the religious communities of settlers. There were a number of spiritual differences that had arisen among the Quakers and Penn took on the role of mediator and peacemaker.

From 1701 to 1776, Penn’s charter that determined Pennsylvania would be the only state that had a legislature of representatives as its governmental body. After a troubled but privileged life consisting of two marriages, a political career hampered by dissent and a changing perspective on faith, Penn fell ill in 1712 with a stroke and finally passed away back in England in 1718.

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