Quaker and son of the founder of Pennsylvania, William Penn's utopian dreams for America were compiled into a large collection highlighting his views of American ideals of politics. Click on "William Penn Activities" for related resources.

The Library of Congress presents this brief biography of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania. Provides photographs of his home and church, as well as a portrait of this famous Quaker.

The Quakers were persecuted in England and in many English colonies. Read about William Penn's establishment of the colony of Pennsylvania where Quakers and others could live with religious liberty.

Abridged biography of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania responsible for establishing the notion of freedom of conscience in America.

This resource presents a biographical essay about William Penn that highlights his role in the establishment of Pennsylvania.

Overview and biographical facts on the life of William Penn, the Quaker leader of the Pennsylvania Colony.

An online exhibit featuring a collection of historical articles and pictorial images from the founding of Pennsylvania.

A good look at the philosophy of the Quakers who colonized William Penn's religious refuge in the colony of Pennsylvania. Read about Penn's liberal views about government, religious freedom, and relations with Native Americans.

For this lesson, 5th graders learn about the people who founded the Pennsylvania colony and the role that religion played in shaping it. Includes background information for the teacher. Students explore primary resource readings on the...

Read about the history of the Quakers, also called the Religious Society of Friends, who are the oldest organized Christian church in North Carolina.

This resource presents an essay that describes the founding of Pennsylvania as a refuge for Quakers.

Can you name the "two major cities" that dominate the state of Pennsylvania? At this site from the Library of Congress you can learn about how William Penn named this state and find answers to many other questions, as this site takes a...

A short but good biography of the famous Quaker abolitionist who established a school for slaves in Philadelphia in 1770. He wrote a pamphlet in 1772 which led to the establishment of the anti-slave trade movement in England.

(1644-1718) "The founder of the state of Pennsylvania, and the most widely-known member of the Quakers." -Foster, 1921

In this instructional activity, 5th graders examine the relations between Indians and the settlers in the 1600s and 1700s. Background information for teachers is included. Students will work in groups to look at three different colonies...

Philadelphia was the colony of Pennsylvania forsome time. Read about what William Penn's vision was for the city and why the city became so important.

Society in the middle colonies was far more varied, cosmopolitan and tolerant than in New England. In many ways, Pennsylvania and Delaware owed their initial success to William Penn.