William Penn Founds Philadelphia

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Introduction
Apart from the geographical significance of the Philadelphia region, the foundation of tolerance of this new colony make this story significant. Both formed the basis for future expansion. Within a century, Philadelphia was the foremost city in the British Empire outside of the home islands. This contrasted with the rival empire of the French with its rigid controls. By the climatic colonial war with the French in the mid 1700’s, the British colonies in North America had over a million inhabitants; that of the French had less than a tenth of that. This is the story of how a major part of this process began.

This selection is by George E. Ellis.

Time: 1681
Place: Philadelphia

Although European settlers had occupied portions of the present State of Pennsylvania for fifty years before William Penn arrived in that territory, the real foundation of the great commonwealth named after him is justly dated from his time.

Penn was an English “Friend,” or Quaker and was descended from a long line of sailors. He was born in London in 1644, his father being Admiral Sir William Penn of the English navy. The son was educated at Oxford University and became a preacher of the Society of Friends. This calling brought him into collision with the authorities. He was several times arrested and for a while was imprisoned in the Tower for “urging the cause of freedom with importunity.”

Through the influence of his family and the growing weight of his own character, he escaped the heavier penalties inflicted upon some of his coreligionists, and, by the shrewdness and tact which he united with spiritual fervor, he rapidly advanced in public position.

In 1675 Penn became part proprietor of West New Jersey, where a colony of English Friends was settled. Five years later, through his influence at court and the aid of wealthy persons, he was enabled to purchase a large tract in East New Jersey, where he designed to establish a similar colony on a larger plan. But this project was soon superseded by a much greater one, of which the execution is here related.

The interest of William Penn having been engaged for some time in the colonization of an American province and the idea having become familiar to his mind of establishing there a Christian home as a refuge for Friends and the scene for a fair trial of their principles, he availed himself of many favorable circumstances to become a proprietary himself. In various negotiations concerning New Jersey he had had a conspicuous share and the information which his inquiring mind gathered from the adventures in the New World gave him all the knowledge which was requisite for his further proceedings. Though he had personal enemies in high places and the project which he designed crossed the interests of the Duke of York * and of Lord Baltimore, yet his court influence was extensive and he knew how to use it.

[* Afterward James II. He was proprietor of New York and Lord Baltimore of Maryland.]

The favor of Charles II and of his brother the Duke of York had been sought by Penn’s dying father for his son and freely promised. But William Penn had a claim more substantial than a royal promise of those days. The crown was indebted to the estate of Admiral Penn for services, loans and interest, to the amount of sixteen thousand pounds. The exchequer, under the convenient management of Shaftesbury, would not meet the claim. Penn, who was engaged in settling the estate of his father, petitioned the King, in June, 1680, for a grant of land in America as a payment for all these debts.

The request was laid before the privy council and then before the committee of trade and plantations. Penn’s success must have been owing to great interest made on his behalf; for both the Duke of York, by his attorney and Lord Baltimore opposed him. As proprietors of territory bounding on the tract which he asked for and as having been already annoyed by the conflict of charters granted in the New World, they were naturally unfairly biased. The application made to the King succeeded after much debate. The provisions in the charter of Lord Baltimore were adopted by Penn with slight alterations. Sir William Jones objected to one of the provisions, which allowed a freedom from taxation and the Bishop of London, as the ecclesiastical supervisor of plantations, proposed another provision, to prevent too great liberty in religious matters. Chief Justice North having reduced the patent to a satisfactory form, to guard the King’s prerogative and the powers of Parliament, it was signed by writ of privy seal at Westminster, March 4, 1681. It made Penn the owner of about forty thousand square miles of territory.

This charter is given at length by Proud and other writers. The preamble states that the design of William Penn was to enlarge the British empire and to civilize and convert the savages. The first section avers that his petition was granted on account of the good purposes of the son and the merits and services of the father. The bounds of the territory are thus defined: “All that tract or part of land, in America, with the islands therein contained, as the same is bounded on the east by Delaware River, from twelve miles distance northward of New Castle town, unto the three-and-fortieth degree of northern latitude, if the said river doth extend so far northward; but if the said river shall not extend so far northward, then, by the said river, so far as it doth extend; and from the head of the said river, the eastern bounds are to be determined by a meridian line to be drawn from the head of the said river, unto the said forty-third degree. The said land to extend westward five degrees in longitude to be computed from the said eastern bounds; and the said lands to be bounded on the north by the beginning of the three-and-fortieth degree of northern latitude and on the south by a circle drawn at twelve miles’ distance from New Castle, northward and westward, unto the beginning of the fortieth degree of northern latitude; and then by a straight line westward to the limits of longitude above mentioned.”

Though these boundaries appear to be given with definiteness and precision, a controversy, notwithstanding, arose at once between Penn and Lord Baltimore, which outlasted the lives of both of them, and, being continued by their representatives, was not in fact closed until the Revolutionary War.

Continued.

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