Culture newspapers and magazines flourishes, as does law and medicine. Pennsylvania s capital, philadelphia, was the site one of the original colonies, pennsylvania was founded by william penn as a haven for his fellow quakers. People from all over europe poured into their communities. Pennsylvania was officially founded in 1682 by william penn. Lenape country is meticulously researched and cautiously analyzed, qualities that strengthen soderlunds assertions for the primacy of lenape influence in the formation of delaware valley identity. Penn induced people to emigrate, the terms being 40 shillings per hundred acres, and shares of 5,000 acres for 100 pounds. Herds of english, welsh people of wales, german, and dutch quakers flock to the colony, so a healthy share of religious diversity is present in our colony. The first public school in the american colonies was founded by the quakers in philadelphia. Primary sources historical society of pennsylvania. He had attended a meeting of the quakers, people who practiced a religion forbidden. William penn, a favorite of king charles ii, received ownership of pennsylvania in 1681, which he tried to make a holy experiment by a union of temporal and spiritual matters. The religion in the pennsylvania colony is the quaker religion.
In colonial williamsburgs 301acre historic area stand hundreds of restored, reconstructed, and historically furnished buildings. Pennsylvanias diverse topography also produces a variety of climates, though the entire state experiences cold winters and humid summers. Penns goal with pennsylvania was to create a colony that allowed for freedom of religion. Farming, dairy farming, merchants, tradesmen, lumbering, and ship building. Pennsylvania history, language and culture history of pennsylvania. The friends, soon after their arrival, were careful to establish, in every neighborhood, meetings for divine worship, where they.
How did most people make a living in colonial pennsylvania. These generous terms induced many to set out for the new world. Charles ii, king of england owed money to penns family. Immediately, penn sent his cousin william markham to the territory to take control of it and be its governor. Pennsylvania can claim americas first hospital, first library, and first insurance company. On march 4, 1681, king charles ii of england granted william penn fortyfive thousand acres in the new world in payment for a debt of 16,000 pounds the crown owed his father, an admiral in the british navy. Click on a primary source to go to its page, where you may find additional images, transcriptions of the text, a citation guide for including the source in a bibliography, or ways to purchase. The pennsylvania colony was dominated by the quaker religious beliefs and values. Pennsylvania s political history ran a rocky course during the provincial era. In his 1861 book entitled history of the religious society of friends from its rise. Skotska invandrare forde med sig presbyterianism och denna religion fick sedan fler. In his 1861 book entitled history of the religious society of friends from its rise to the year 1828, quaker minister and author samuel mcpherson janney 18011880 summarized quaker religious activities during the early years in pennsylvania. Despite the unpopularity of his religion, he was socially acceptable in the kings court. Religious sects that had a strong presence in this area included quakers and lutherans.
Penns religious views were extremely distressing to his father, admiral sir. A history of william penn, founder of the city of phiuladelphia and the state of. Who was william penn and other questions about the founding. Almost from the time of their founding, the english settlements in the new world became the subjects of historical narratives by promoters, politicians, and clergymen. The founding of pennsylvania, about 40,000 square miles, was confirmed to william penn under the great seal on january 5, 1681. The land that became the pennsylvania colony had been in dispute for many years by the english, dutch, and the swedes. Throughout the early 1700s more people from europe immigrated to pennsylvania. The freedom of religion in pennsylvania complete freedom of religion for everybody who believed in god brought not only english, welsh, german and dutch quakers to the colony, but also huguenots french protestants, mennonites, amish, and lutherans from catholic german states. Simons wonderfully illustrated and written book should serve as the entry into philadelphias history for a variety of audiences. Pennsylvania colony historycentral home historys home. Many quakers came here to escape persecution from the puritans.
Penn founded the colony in 1681 as a refuge for quakers. Penn was granted the charter as a place for quakers to settle. The history of pennsylvania begins in 1681 when william penn received a royal deed from king charles ii of england, although human activity in the region precedes that date. What religion were most people in colonial pennsylvania.
Many of pennsylvania s settlers were quakers, and there were also many dutch settlers as well as people of other nationalities. The king named the new colony in honor of william penns father. The freedom of religion in pennsylvania complete freedom of religion for everybody who believed in god brought not only english, welsh, german and dutch quakers to the colony, but also huguenots french protestants, mennonites, amish. Pennsylvania made guarantees of religious freedom, and kept them, attracting many quakers and others. Pennsylvania even has a significant jewish population.
These men and women brought their version of ulster to the colonies in their fierce. People were free to believe what they wanted and talk to god in their own way. The volume is part of the pennsylvania history series published by the pennsylvania historical association in partnership with temple university press. His books include the quaker family in colonial america 1973 and, with hugh barbour, the. One of the original colonies, pennsylvania was founded by william penn as a haven for his fellow quakers.
The history of pennsylvania, in north america, from the original institution and settlement of that province, under the first proprietor and governor, william penn, in 1681, till after the year 1742. Religious liberty in pennsylvania frost, william j. Our first friends, the early quakers pennsylvania historical. The pennsylvania colony was one of the original british colonies that became the united states of america. The earliest jewish resident of philadelphia of whom there is any record was jonas aaron, who was living there in 1703. It was founded in 1682 by the english quaker william penn. Quakers took political control but were bitterly split on the funding of military operations or defenses. The name pennsylvania, which translates roughly as penns woods, was created by combining the penn surname. The book, the first comprehensive history of pennsylvania in almost three decades, sets the pennsylvania story in the larger context of national social, cultural, economic, and political development. It is a much needed study of this pivotal time in american history and a valuable contribution to native american and colonial era scholarship. William penn was an english quaker leader and advocate of religious freedom who oversaw the founding of pennsylvania as a refuge for quakers and other religious minorities of europe.
Penn, prior to the grant of the province, and the religious society of the people called quakers, with the first rise of the neighbouring colonies. Mennonites were religious dissenters who believed in adult. An activist, political theorist, and the proprietor of his own colony, penn would. The pennsylvania colony the thirteen colonies library binding december 1, 1988 by dennis b. The volume is part of the pennsylvania history series published by the. George fox the origins of the society of friends lie in the intense religious ferment of seventeenth century england. A century after william penn opened his colony to settlers of all faiths, samuel. The land grant was made in exchange for paying of the kings debt. Covering topics such as ethnic groups, industries, religion, and the arts, each title. The pennsylvania historical association advances knowledge about the history and culture of pennsylvania and the midatlantic region. England captured from the dutch the area that became the state of pennsylvania for the second time, england captured. Many of the congregations they established exist today and serve as an enduring tribute to penns legacy of religious and spiritual diversity. During this time, many peoples strict religious beliefs kept them from participating in certain pastimes such as gambling, horse racing, singing, dancing.
In 1681, william penn, a quaker, was given a land grant from king charles ii, who owed money to penns deceased father. Teaching the religious history of pennsylvania in philadelphia jstor. Penn wanted his colony to be a place of religious freedom. The most prominent member of the jewish belief in the early history of the colony was isaac miranda. There was a natural conflict between the proprietary and popular elements in the government which began under penn and grew stronger under his successors. Costumed interpreters tell the stories of the men and women of the 18thcentury cityblack, white, and native american, slave, indentured, and freeand the challenges they faced. Education in colonial pennsylvania did not have a common system such as in new england, and was more focused on practical education. The pennsylvania colony was also called the province of pennsylvania. Most people in pennsylvania were quakers but that was not forced. In 1639 the first printing press in the english colonies and the second.
Find the answers to these and many other questions in pennsylvania, a book about one of the original thirteen colonies. What person or group founded the pennsylvania colony. The colonial period lasted from 1681 to 1776 in pennsylvania. Society, schools and culture history, politics, philosophy, science, theology and belleslettres. It represented one of the original american colonies. George fox, the son of a leicestershire weaver, is credited with founding apr 20, 1674. Leach, colonial indian wars, handbook of north american indians 4. In general, no primary religious group dominated in colonial pennsylvania. They settled into colonies, areas that are now the states known as new york, new jersey, pennsylvania, virginia, north carolina, south carolina, massachusetts, new hampshire, maryland, georgia, connecticut, rhode island, and delaware.
Understanding how the past informs the present helps us shape a better future. Colonial settlers came to america for many reasons. The founder of our colony, william penn, wanted the quakers to be free from all the strict rules that the puritan church follows. About entertainment in pennsylvania during colonial times. The province of pennsylvania, also known as the pennsylvania colony, was founded in english north america by william penn on march 4, 1681 as dictated in a royal charter granted by king charles ii. Here, weve listed the primary sources featured in our unit plans. German settlement in pennsylvania an overview in 1683, a group of quakers and mennonites from the krefeld region of the rhineland founded the city of germantown, the first recorded german settlement in the english colonies. Key dates in colonial american religious history buy the book the letter exchange between george washington and the hebrew congregation of newport was not the only landmark event in the early history of america that dealt with issues of religious freedom and identity. The birth of pennsylvania depicts william penn receiving pennsylvania s royal charter from king charles ii of england. Without sacrificing treatment of the influential leaders who made pennsylvania history, the book focuses especially on the lives of everyday. What was the main religion in colonial pennsylvania. In the colony there is religious freedom for anybody who believes in god.