Who Was William Penn? : And Other Questions about the Founding of Pennsylvania

In the seventeenth century, Quakers were not allowed to worship in England. If they did, they were severely punished. William Penn, a Quaker leader, convinced King Charles II to let the Quakers set up a colony in America. In 1681, a charter was granted, giving Penn land west of the Delaware River between New York and Maryland. The colony became the state of Pennsylvania. Penn attracted settlers with the promise of religious liberty and cheap land. The new colony drew settlers from England, Germany, the Netherlands, and Wales. Penn set up a government for his colony that later influenced the formation of other colonies. He made a peace treaty with the local Indians that was so fair that they never attacked the colony.