William Penn

William Penn. . , By liberty of conscience we understand not only a mere liberty of the mind, but the exercise of a visible way of worship this day my country was confirmed to me by the name of Pennsylvania. My God will, I believe, bless and make it the seed of a nation , --Gentleman , Son of an Admiral william Sonn of william pen and margaret his wife of the Tower Liberty --Parish Register, All Hallows-by-the Tower, London 1655, Expelled from Oxford , Of my persecution at Oxford; how the Lord sustained me in the midst of that hellish darkness and debauchery; of my being banished the College. The bitter usage I underwent when I returned to my Father, whipping, beating, and turning out of doors., Become a Quaker , Of the Lord's dealings with me in France; and in the time of the great plague in London; the deep sense He gave me of the vanity of this world; of the irreligiousness of the religions of it. It was at this time, that the Lord visited me with a certain sound and testimore of His eternal word through one of those the world called a Quaker., Quaker , Religious Freedom in a Time of Intolerance, Preacher , If you would God and worship and serve God, you must come to the means He has given for that purpose. Some seek it in books, some in learned men, but what they look for is in themselves though not of themselves, but they overlook it., Defended of the Friends , Let the winds of imagination blow, the storms of persecution beat, and the sea of raging malice foam...we shall still confide and rejoice in that everlasting Holy God Almighty! My prison shall be my grave before I budge a jot, for I owe my conscience to no mortal man. (From the Tower of London, 1668), Founder , Pennsylvania, the "Holy Experiment", Visionary , For my country, I eyed the Lord in obtaining it, and desire that I may not be unworthy of His love; but do that, which my answer His kind Providence, and serve His truth and people; that an example may be set up to the nations. There may be room there, though not here, for such an holy experiment., Planner , Philadelphia is at last laid out in the great content of those here. The situation is a neck of land, and lies between two navigable rivers, Delaware and Schuylkill, whereby it has two fronts upon the water, each a mile, and two from river to river., Friend of Indians , When the purchase was agreed, great promises passed between us of kindness and good neighborhood, and the Indians and English must live in love, as long as the sun gave light., Promoter , The air is sweet and clear, the heavens serene, like the south part of France, rarely overcast. The people are a collection of diverse nations in Europe, as, French, Dutch, German, Swedes, Danes, Finns, Scotch, Irish and English, and of the last equal to all the rest. But as they are of one kind, and in one place and under one allegiance, so they live like the people of my country. (A Further Account of the Province, 1685), Lawgiver , Let me be good, and the government can't be bad; it is be ill, they will cure it; but if men be bad, let the government be never so good they will endeaver to warp and spoil it to their turn. (Frame of Government, 1682), Statesman , Pacifism in a Time of Wars, Courtier , Quaker Penn attends the King very close and preached at the Battle in the Tennis Court but the report of his being made one of the King's Privy Council is false, though the King consults him in all matters of moment. --The Duke of Portland, 1686, Fall From Favor , I have been above these three years hunted, up and down, and could never be allowed to live quietly in city or country, even where there was hardly a pretense against me, so that I have not only been unprotected, but persecuted by the government., Man of Letters , The sovereign princes would, for the love of peace and order, agree to meet in a general parliament, and there establish rules of justice to observe one to another and thus to meet yearly, and to be styled the sovereign or imperial diet, parliament, or states of Europe. (An Essay Towards the Present and Future Peace in Europe, 1693), Proprietor , New Liberties for a Troubled Colony, Slate Roof House, Quarrelling Colony , Cannot more friendly and private courses be taken to set matters to rights in an infant province whose steps are numbered and watched; for the love of God, me and the poor country, be not so governmentish; so noisy and open, in your disaffections., Charter of Privileges , I do hereby grant and declare that no person or persons inhabiting this province, or territories shall be, in any case, molested or prejudiced in his or their person or estate because of his or their conscientious persuasion or practice, not be compelled to frequent or maintain any religious worship place or ministry contrary to his or their mind., --Charter of Privilges, 1701, "Man of Sorrows" Memorial , O Pennsylvania, what hast thou not cost me! Above £30,000 more that I ever got from it; two hazardous and most fatiguing voyages, my straits and slavery here, and my son's soul almost! (To James Logan, 1704), And as his love was great and endeavors constant happiness of his friends, countrymen, and fellow-subjects, so was his great tenderness, justice, and love towards the Indians, from first to last, always conspicuous and remarkable. --Testimony of Quaker in Pennsylvania Concerning their Deceased Friend and Governor, William Penn, 1719, Seeds of a Nation , In 1751, Pennsylvania marked the 50th anniversary of Penn's Charter of Privileges by purchasing a new bell for their State House. They inscribed this bell with a Biblical line that commemorated William Penn's greatest legacy that they would soon be called upon to defend for their descendants: "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.", 1644 , October 14, William Penn born in London Roger Williams receives charter for Rhode Island; secures religious liberties, 1647 , Has smallpox, 1648 , Charles I beheaded Oliver Cromwell rules England until his death in 1658, 1650 , Death of Descartes, 1651 , Thomas Hobbes writes Leviathan, 1653 , At Chigwell School, near London, until 1656, 1656 , In Ireland with his family until 1660, (Unreadable text) , 1657 , (Unreadable text), 1658 , (Unreadable text), 1659 , (Unreadable text), 1660 , (Unreadable text), 1661 , Religious persecution renewed in England under the (Unreadable text), 1662 , Expelled from Oxford for religious non-conformity Goes to France to study, 1664 , England seized New York from the Dutch, 1665 , Studies law in London England at war with the Netherlands Begins friendship with James, Duke of York The plague in London Admiral Penn victorious in a battle with the Dutch, 1666 , In Ireland managing family estate Great Fire of London Christopher Penn's plan for reconstruction of London, 1667 , Becomes a Quaker Imprisoned at Cork for his faith John Milton publishes Paradise Lost, 1668 , Argues with his father over religion Imprisoned in the Tower of London for preaching Louis XIV begins palace at Versailles, 1669 , Writes No Cross, No Crown, while in Tower Again visits Ireland Carolina founded; Fundamental Constitutions written by John Locke and the Earl of Shaftesbury Death of Rembrant, 1670 , Writes the Great Cause of Liberty of Conscience Arrested for preaching in London Imprisoned and tried but acquitted in the (Unreadable text) trial Admiral Penn dies, 1671 , Imprisoned at (Unreadable text) for preaching First missionary trip to the Netherlands and Germany Works for religious toleration, 1672 , Charles II's Declaration of Indulgences pardons imprisoned Quakers Marries Gulielma Maria Springett War with Netherlands; England victorious in 1674 Preaches and writes for Quaker faith, 1673 , Death of Moliere, 1674 , Appears again at Court; renews friendship with the Duke of York, 1675 , Becomes a trustee for Quaker colony in West New Jersey Wren begins the reconstruction of St. Paul's Cathedral Death of Verineer, 1676 , King Philip's War with the Indians in New England Bacon's Rebellion in Virginia, 1677 , Makes Missionary journey to the Netherlands and Gemany Spinoza publishes Ethics, 1678 , Befriends the radical republican, Algernon Sidney Struggles for religious toleration in England, 1680 , Petitions Charles II for a colony in America, 1681 , March 4. Receives Charter for Pennsylvania Addresses letter to the inhabitants of Pennsylvania Appoints William Markham deputy governor Markham summons council at Upland (Chester), beginning Pennsylvania's government Names Philadelphia Charter (Unreadable text) Le Salle explores Mississippi River; claims land for France, 1682 , Purchases East New Jersey with group of Quakers Penn's mother dies Publishes his Frame of Government for Pennsylvania Site of Pennsbury bought from Delaware Indians The Duke of York grants Delaware to Penn Sails for America October 28. Lands at New Castle, Delaware Visits Chester, Pennsylvania, and the site of Philadelphia a few days later Thomas Holmes begins laying out Philadelphia First Pennsylvania Assembly meets at Chester Quarrel with Lord Baltimore over boundary with Maryland begins, 1683 , Begins building his manor house at Pennsbury, Bucks County Assembly approves revised Frame of Government Obtains deeds for land from Delaware Indians Germantown funded Rye House plot in London Algernon Sidney executed, 1684 , Quarrel with Lord Baltimore grows worse (Unreadable text) to England (Unreadable text) Baltimore's (Unreadable text), 1685 , King Charles II dies Penn's friend, James, Duke of York, becomes King James II Becomes courtier and lobbies for toleration Birth of Johann Sebastian Bach France (Unreadable text) of the Netherlands, England and (Unreadable text), 1687 , Sir Isaac Newton publishes Principia Mathematica, 1688 , James II overthrown in England's "Glorious Revolution" Suspected of being a traitor and a Jesuit; leaves public life until 1693 John Locke writes Second Treatise on Government, 1689 , William and Mary become rules of England England's Bill of Rights and Act of Toleration passed Rebellions against Crown in Massachusetts, New York, and Maryland King Williams's War against France, 1691 , Death of George Fox, founder of Quakerism and Penn's close friend, 1692 , Deprived of governmental powers over Pennsylvania Salem witch trials, 1693 , Publishes an Essay Towards the Present and Future Peace of Europe and Some Fruits of Solitude, 1694 , Pardoned by William III; Pennsylvania's government restored to Penn Penn's wife, Gulielma dies, 1696 , Marries Hannah Callowhill Death of Penn's favorite son, Springett Assembly adopts Markham's laws, which revise Penn's Frame of Government Proposes Plan for Union of the Colonies, 1699 , Penn and his family sail for America Lands at Chester, 1700 , Son, John Penn, born in the Slate Roof House, Philadelphia Pennsbury Manor completed, 1701 , Philadelphia receives city charter October 28, Grants Charter of Privileges, Pennsylvania's Constitution until 1776. Sails for England, 1702 , Death of King William III Queen Anne ascends throne Troubled by his profligate son, William Penn, Jr. War of Spanish Succession begins; England at war with France and Spain, 1705 , Sued by his business manager, Philip Ford, for payment of (Unreadable text), 1706 , Birth of Benjamin Franklin, 1707 , Union of England and Scotland to form Great Britain, 1708 , Spends time in debtors' prison, 1711 , Alexander Pope writes Essay on Criticism, 1712 , Prepares to sell Pennsylvania Partially paralyzed by strokes Hannah Penn acts as governor Birth of Jean Jacques Rousseau, 1713 , Peace of Utrecht; Great Britain becomes an imperial power, 1714 , Death of Queen Anne George I ascends throne, 1718 , July 30, William Penn dies Buried at Jordans, Buckinghamshire Hannah Penn continues to manage Pennsylvania until her sons reach maturity