William Penn Frontiers

The colony of Pennsylvania and the city of Philadelphia were frontiers in many ways; they were greatly influenced by William Penn’s ideas politically, religiously, and economically. William Penn was born in England in the city of London to Admiral William Penn and Margaret Jasper on October 14, 1644. Admiral Penn was a wealthy and important admiral who served in the parliamentary navy during the English Civil War or the Puritan Revolution. Penn was awarded much land, but he fell into the disfavor of the British monarch. A close friend of the Duke of York, Admiral Penn helped reinstate Charles II as the ruler of England- who later knighted him. In the 1600s, most of the upper class in London were Anglicans and so was Admiral Penn so he raised

This led to a Native and Quaker treaty being formed in 1682 which was signed in 1683 and 1684. It gave Indian equal rights in Pennsylvania and began the longest-lasting era of peace between colonists and Natives. Pennsylvania became the first colony to receive the Native’s trust and have an era of peace which made Pennsylvania into a prominent frontier in an idea-based way. In the textbook Creating the Thirteen Colonies, Hakim outlines the effects Quaker beliefs had on Pennsylvania by explaining how Penn wanted all people to be treated fairly and given equal rights: even servants, Negroes, and the Native Americans. (Making Thirteen Colonies, Hakim, 107) Another idea that made Pennsylvania into a frontier religiously/politically was that Penn also incorporated his ideas of religious toleration and “natural right” into the founding of his colony. Pennsylvania offered religious tolerance of all religions and all individuals were given rights. During his time in Pennsylvania, Penn wrote the Charter of Liberties which told the world that Pennsylvania was “free to the people under it, where laws rule, and the people are a party to those laws.” Penn gave personal rights to everyone including Natives and Negros. All other colonies offered one or the other: tolerance or equal rights. One could practice any religion but in the end, one may not be able to vote unless one belonged in a majority religion. This is one of the many ideas that Pennsylvania and Quakers apart from everyone else. Another aspect that made Pennsylvania unique in its time was the Frame of Government that was developed on April 25, 1682. The Frame of Government gave the governor was given a minor role, the Council and Assembly were elected, murder and treason were the only acts punishable by death, etc. But perhaps the most important part of