Pennsylvania & The Quakers

FACTS AT A GLANCE

• Founded by: the Quakers

• Reasons for Founding: create "The Holy Experiment" - a colony where people from different religions could settle peacefully

• Successes: established great relationships with Native American groups

THE QUAKERS AND THE HOLY EXPERIMENT

William Penn was a wealthy Englishman who converted to the Quaker religion, which was not a popular religion in England. Quakers believed that since all people were children of God they should all be treated equally. Women could preach in church and Quakers would not bow before nobility. 

Quakers were not treated well in England. William Penn was friends with the king of England. In 1682 the king gave him a large area of land in America for the Quakers to settle. This area became known as Penn's forest, or Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, the Quakers created a colony with religious freedom for all religions. Native Americans were also treated fairly and settlers paid Native Americans for their land. This prevented fighting between the two groups.