William Penn

William Penn (1644–1718) was an English Quaker leader, writer, and colonial proprietor best known as the founder of Pennsylvania. Born in London, he became a member of the Religious Society of Friends in the 1660s and was repeatedly imprisoned for his beliefs and advocacy of religious toleration. In 1681 King Charles II granted him a charter for the Province of Pennsylvania, which Penn envisioned as a “holy experiment” in civil government and liberty of conscience. He traveled to America to oversee the colony’s early development and promoted fair dealings with Indigenous peoples. Penn’s influential writings addressed faith, freedom, and governance.