William Penn

Born in London in 1644, William Penn was the son of Admiral Sir William Penn, but he chose a very different path from the world of court and navy. He became a Quaker at a time when Quakers were often fined, jailed, and harassed, and he spent years writing and speaking in defense of freedom of conscience.

Penn is best known for founding Pennsylvania after receiving a charter from King Charles II in 1681. He imagined the colony as a "holy experiment" where people of different Christian backgrounds could live with unusual religious tolerance and where government would rest on laws, representation, and public consent.

He was also a prolific writer and an important political thinker. Remembered for his efforts to deal fairly with Native peoples, especially the Lenape, Penn remains one of the key figures linking English religious dissent with the early ideals that shaped colonial America.