The Pennsylvania Colony: A Quaker Experiment in America

William Penn's 'Holy Experiment' on the Delaware River

Penn's Treaty with the Indians by Edward Hicks

Corbis / VCG via Getty Images

The Pennsylvania colony was one of the 13 original British colonies that became the United States of America. It was founded in 1682 by the English Quaker William Penn.

Escape From European Persecution

In 1681, William Penn, a Quaker, was given a land grant from King Charles II, who owed money to Penn's deceased father. Immediately, Penn sent his cousin William Markham to the territory to take control of it and be its governor. Penn's goal with Pennsylvania was to create a colony that allowed for freedom of religion. The Quakers were among the most radical of the English Protestant sects that had sprung up in the 17th century. Penn sought a colony in America—what he called a "holy experiment"—to protect himself and fellow Quakers from persecution.

When Markham arrived on the western shore of the Delaware River, however, he found that the region was already inhabited by Europeans. Part of present-day Pennsylvania was actually included in the territory named New Sweden that had been founded by Swedish settlers in 1638. This territory was then surrendered to the Dutch in 1655 when Peter Stuyvesant sent a large force to invade. Swedes and Finns continued to arrive and settle in what would become Pennsylvania.

Arrival of William Penn

In 1682, William Penn arrived in Pennsylvania on a ship called the "Welcome." He quickly instituted the First Frame of Government and created three counties: Philadelphia, Chester, and Bucks. When he called a General Assembly to meet in Chester, the assembled body decided that the Delaware counties should be joined with those of Pennsylvania and that the governor would preside over both areas. It would not be until 1703 that Delaware would separate itself from Pennsylvania. In addition, the General Assembly adopted the Great Law, which provided for the liberty of conscience in terms of religious affiliations.

By 1683, the Second General Assembly created the Second Frame of Government. Any Swedish settlers were to become English subjects, seeing that the English were now in a majority in the colony.

Pennsylvania During the American Revolution

Pennsylvania played an extremely important role in the American Revolution. The First and Second Continental Congresses were convened in Philadelphia. This is where the Declaration of Independence was written and signed. Numerous key battles and events of the war occurred in the colony, including the crossing of the Delaware River, the Battle of Brandywine, the Battle of Germantown, and the winter encampment at Valley Forge. The Articles of Confederation were also drafted in Pennsylvania, the document that formed the basis of the new Confederation that was created at the end of the Revolutionary War.

Significant Events

  • In 1688, the first written protest against enslavement in North America was created and signed by the Quakers in Germantown. In 1712, the trade of enslaved people was outlawed in Pennsylvania. 
  • The colony was well-advertised, and by 1700 it was the third-biggest and the richest colony in the New World.
  • Penn allowed for a representative assembly elected by landowners.
  • Freedom of worship and religion was granted to all citizens.
  • In 1737, Benjamin Franklin was named the postmaster of Philadelphia. Before this, he had set up his own printing shop and started publishing "Poor Richard's Almanack." In the following years, he was named the first president of the Academy, performed his famous electricity experiments, and was an important figure in the fight for American independence.

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Kelly, Martin. "The Pennsylvania Colony: A Quaker Experiment in America." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/key-facts-about-the-pennsylvania-colony-103879. Kelly, Martin. (2023, April 5). The Pennsylvania Colony: A Quaker Experiment in America. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/key-facts-about-the-pennsylvania-colony-103879 Kelly, Martin. "The Pennsylvania Colony: A Quaker Experiment in America." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/key-facts-about-the-pennsylvania-colony-103879 (accessed March 19, 2024).