VHS+History+06+Penn's+Woods

William Penn, the son of a wealthy British admiral, became a Quaker.





Quakers were members of a religious group that was open to new ideas. They accepted different religions and did not believe in war or violence or slavery.

Quakers who lived in England had serious problems because of their beliefs. Sometimes, they were put in jail or tortured. Penn wanted a place that would be safe for Quakers to live. He decided to start a colony.



Charles II, the king of England, gave Penn some land in North America.



In the early 1600s, Penn started his colony and called it Pennsylvania. The name, which meant "Penn's Woods", honored his father. He named the capital Philadelphia, which means "City of Brotherly Love".



Penn carefully planned the building of the colony and it's capital.



Penn wanted his colony to be a model to the rest of the world. The Quakers who moved there would be able to have simple lives. Penn thought it was important for the settlers in Pennsylvania to have religious freedom. He also believed the colony should have a fair government. Penn set up the government himself. It was much like a democracy, where the people made decisions by voting.

Most North American colonies had trouble with the Native Americans who lived near them. The leaders of Pennsylvania tried to be fair to the Native Americans. Pennsylvania did not take land from them like most colonies did. When the settlers needed more land, Penn bought it from the Native Americans.

More settlers were invited to join the colony. People did not have to be Quakers to live in Pennsylvania. Penn advertised the good soil and climate, and colonists came from all over Europe. These settlers were from many different countries and religions. Many Germans moved to Pennsylvania. They brought good farming techniques and craft skills that helped the colony do well.

Penn's plan for a successful colony worked. The good farmland made it one of the richest colonies in North America. It was a peaceful place where many cultures and religious groups lived together. Pennyslvania's self-government lasted until the beginning of the American Revolution.



This is how Pennsylvania looks today.

What things came from Pennsylvania?



The Liberty Bell