15 Fascinating Facts About William Penn, the Founder of Pennsylvania

In 1681, William Penn declared that Pennsylvania—a colony he had just acquired through a royal charter—would eventually become “the seed of a nation.” Little did he know how accurate this prediction would prove to be. Today, Penn is celebrated as a cherished figure in Pennsylvania and across the United States. Here are some lesser-known details about his life.

1. HIS FATHER WAS A RENOWNED FIGURE.

William Penn was the son of Sir William Penn (1621-1670), a distinguished English admiral. The elder Penn, a celebrated naval hero, achieved fame through a complex journey. After King Charles I was executed for treason in 1649, Penn initially backed the Commonwealth government that replaced the monarchy. However, when the republican system began to falter, he played a key role in restoring Charles II to the throne in 1660. Admiral Penn earned the royal family’s respect and became a close confidant of James, the Duke of York, who oversaw the English navy.

2. HE WAS KICKED OUT OF OXFORD.

Around 1655, a well-known Quaker named Thomas Loe visited the Penn family home in Ireland. His passionate preaching deeply moved Admiral Penn, bringing him to tears. This encounter left a lasting impression on young William Penn, sparking his sympathy for the Quaker movement, though he didn’t immediately convert.

Penn’s growing dissent caused issues after he joined Oxford’s Christ Church College in 1660. There, he crossed paths with John Owen, a former dean ousted for advocating religious tolerance. Owen, banned from teaching on campus, hosted private lessons at his home, which Penn frequently attended. These sessions solidified Penn’s belief that Oxford’s policies were deeply unfair.

One major issue for Penn was the university’s rule requiring all students to attend a compulsory Anglican service every Sunday. Penn refused to participate and also broke the dress code by rejecting the mandated surplice, opting for plain clothing instead. His defiance led to his expulsion in 1662. Admiral Penn reportedly responded harshly, allegedly punishing his son with physical discipline.

3. PENN’S RELIGIOUS BELIEFS LED TO MULTIPLE IMPRISONMENTS.

Following his expulsion from Oxford, Penn pursued theological studies at the College of Saumur in France and later enrolled at Lincoln’s Inn, a prestigious law school in London. In 1666, his father assigned him to manage the family estates, where he reunited with Loe. The preacher’s messages resonated deeply with Penn, prompting him to join Quaker meetings. On September 3, 1667, Penn was at a Quaker assembly in Cork, Ireland, which was raided by authorities. Falsely accused of inciting a religious uprising, the group was imprisoned. Due to his social standing, Penn was offered a pardon, but he rejected it, insisting on sharing the same fate as his fellow Quakers. He was soon released and officially embraced Quakerism that same year, never turning back.

Penn faced imprisonment again in 1668. Prior to his arrest, he had authored and circulated a groundbreaking pamphlet titled The Sandy Foundation Shaken, challenging the traditional belief in the Holy Trinity as “three distinct persons.” This was considered a criminal act, leading to his confinement in the Tower of London for eight months. During his incarceration, Penn penned two additional works, Innocency With Her Open Face and No Cross, No Crown, to elaborate on his beliefs. It is believed that his father intervened, appealing to the Duke of York, which eventually secured Penn’s release.

However, his legal struggles were far from over. In the early 1660s, English Parliament introduced laws that severely restricted religious freedom. The “Quaker Act of 1662” banned Quakers and other minority groups from gathering in groups of five or more for worship. This was followed by the Conventicle Act of 1664, which prohibited all non-Anglican religious assemblies. The Five Mile Act of 1665 further targeted dissenting preachers, barring them from coming within five miles of their former parishes.

In 1670, Penn organized an unauthorized Quaker meeting in London, leading to charges of breaching the Conventicle Act. He and a fellow Quaker were imprisoned for two weeks before a jury acquitted them. However, the jury faced severe punishment for defying the judge’s demands for a conviction, including fines, deprivation of food and water, and imprisonment for some members. This case is often cited as a landmark in establishing the principle of an independent jury.

Despite these challenges, Penn remained steadfast in his commitment to Quakerism. He was arrested once more in February 1671 and detained in Newgate Prison without trial. During his imprisonment, he continued writing political and theological essays until his release in August.

4. PENN WAS GRANTED CONTROL OF A NEW WORLD COLONY DUE TO KING CHARLES II’S DEBT TO HIS FATHER.

Admiral Penn had lent a substantial amount of money to the crown during his lifetime. Over time, the interest on this debt grew significantly. By 1680, a decade after Admiral Penn’s death, King Charles II owed the Penn family £16,000. William Penn proposed a creative resolution to this issue. In May 1680, he requested a land grant in America, specifically the territory between Maryland and what is now western New York, in exchange for canceling the debt. Charles II agreed, and on March 4, 1681, Penn was granted the charter for what would later be named Pennsylvania.

5. THE NAME “PENNSYLVANIA” WASN’T HIS IDEA.

Initially, Penn wanted to name the colony New Wales, inspired by its resemblance to the Welsh landscape. However, a Welsh secretary in England’s Privy Council objected, prompting Penn to rethink. He then proposed Sylvania, derived from the Latin word for forest. The Council decided to modify the name by adding “Penn” as a tribute to Admiral Penn, William’s father. Although William Penn initially opposed the name and even attempted to bribe officials to alter it, he eventually accepted it to avoid appearing vain.

6. HIS LEGENDARY PEACE TREATY REMAINS ENIGMATIC.

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Penn embarked on his journey to the colony named after his family on August 30, 1682. Long before his arrival, the land had been inhabited by the Leni Lenape Native Americans for generations. Before leaving, Penn was counseled by the Bishop of London to reach out to the indigenous people and negotiate for land to establish a city. In 1681, he sent a conciliatory letter to Lenape leaders, translated for them, expressing his desire to live in harmony: “I wish to share this land with your love and consent, so we may coexist as neighbors and friends.” He also condemned the “unkindness and injustice” inflicted upon them by others.

Upon arriving in Pennsylvania, Penn earned the respect of the Lenape by learning some of their language, aiming to communicate without an interpreter. Between 1682 and 1683, he visited Shackamaxon, a Lenape village on the Delaware River, where he acquired the land that would become Philadelphia. This historic agreement, known as the “Great Treaty,” was later celebrated in Benjamin West’s 1772 painting William Penn’s Treaty with the Indians. Voltaire praised the treaty in 1764, calling it “the only agreement between Native Americans and Christians that was neither sworn to nor broken.”

Was Voltaire’s praise accurate? The truth remains unclear, as no firsthand records of the meeting exist. The details we have come from oral traditions passed down through generations. Many accounts claim the meeting took place under a massive elm tree in Kensington, Philadelphia, known as the Treaty Elm. The tree, believed to be over a century old at the time, fell during a storm in March 1810. The site was later commemorated as Penn Treaty Park in 1894.

7. HE SAW PENNSYLVANIA AS A “HOLY EXPERIMENT.”

Penn envisioned his colony as a sanctuary for Quakers and other religious minorities, offering them freedom of worship. He referred to this ambitious plan as a “Holy Experiment.” To attract European settlers, Penn circulated promotional materials in English, French, Dutch, and German, highlighting the colony’s advantages. Privately, he hoped land sales would alleviate his financial struggles. “While I aim to promote religious freedom,” Penn once stated, “… I also seek compensation for my efforts.” His strategy succeeded: By 1685, he had sold 600 land parcels totaling 700,000 acres.

Under Penn’s leadership, Pennsylvania became the sole English colony without an official state church. This reflected his conviction that “Religion and governance … are separate matters, with distinct purposes, and can coexist independently.” While Pennsylvanians were granted religious freedom, the colony’s original constitution excluded non-Christians and Catholics from voting or holding public office.

8. HE WAS CENTRAL TO PENNSYLVANIA’S FIRST WITCH TRIAL.

In 1684, two Swedish settlers in what is now Delaware County were accused of bewitching a neighbor’s cow, which reportedly produced little milk. To avoid the hysteria seen in Salem and maintain good relations with the Swedish community, Penn personally oversaw the trial. Since the accused didn’t speak English, he ensured a translator was present. He also selected a jury entirely from their neighborhood and transformed the trial into an investigation, barring lawyers and acting as the sole judge.

Records suggest only one of the accused, Margaret Mattson, appeared in court. She pleaded not guilty, and while witnesses testified against her, their claims were largely hearsay. Penn questioned Mattson directly, reportedly asking, “Art thou a witch?” to which she denied. When he inquired, “Hast thou ever ridden through the air on a broomstick?” she seemed confused. Penn allegedly remarked, “Well, I know of no law against it.” The jury delivered a peculiar verdict: the women were deemed guilty of being perceived as witches by their neighbors but not of practicing witchcraft. Historian George Smith later described this as a “very righteous, but rather ridiculous verdict.”

9. HE WAS INVOLVED IN A BORDER CONFLICT WITH MARYLAND.

In 1684, Penn returned to England to address a territorial dispute. Decades earlier, George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore, had been granted a vast tract of land stretching from the 40th parallel to the Potomac River and from its western source to the Atlantic Ocean. After Calvert’s death in 1632, his heirs established Maryland. Penn’s founding of Philadelphia inadvertently sparked a boundary dispute, as much of the city lay below the 40th parallel. This angered the Calvert family, and tensions escalated when Penn acquired land in modern-day Delaware. Charles Calvert, the third Lord Baltimore, contested Penn’s claim to the area and the lands north of the 40th parallel. Despite a meeting in 1683, no resolution was reached, leading both parties to appeal to the Commission for Trade and Plantations in England.

The Commission decided to divide the Delaware peninsula. Lands south of Cape Henlopen were awarded to Maryland, while the area above the Cape was split vertically, with the eastern portion going to Penn and the western part to Maryland. (Modern Delaware later separated from Pennsylvania on June 15, 1776, celebrated annually as Separation Day.) However, the Pennsylvania-Maryland border dispute remained unresolved until the 1760s, when surveyors Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon established the famous Mason-Dixon Line.

10. PENN ADVOCATED FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT.

William Penn spent fewer than four years in Pennsylvania. After returning to London in 1684, he did not revisit the New World until 1699. During this period, he remained active, publishing Essay Towards the Present and Future of Europe by the Establishment of a European Parliament in 1693. This work, a response to Europe’s incessant wars, proposed an international assembly of 90 representatives from across the continent. Despite his visionary idea, the essay had little impact on European politics, predating the European Union by three centuries.

11. HE FACED TREASON CHARGES LATER IN LIFE.

In politics, alliances can quickly turn from advantageous to detrimental. Penn enjoyed a close relationship with King James II, which initially benefited him in resolving the Pennsylvania-Maryland border dispute. However, this association later proved problematic. Unlike his predecessor and most of England, James II was Catholic, causing widespread unrest. His Protestant daughter, Mary, was expected to succeed him, which kept his opponents at bay.

This balance shifted in 1688 when James II fathered a son, presumed to be raised Catholic. Fearing this, Parliament dissidents invited Prince William of Orange, Mary’s husband, to intervene. William’s forces overthrew James II, who fled to France with his son. William and Mary were crowned in 1689. Penn, linked to James II, was arrested multiple times, including once after receiving a letter from the exiled king. With the help of allies, he managed to evade serious consequences.

12. HIS SECOND WIFE GOVERNED PENNSYLVANIA FOR MORE THAN TEN YEARS.

Penn married his first wife, Gulielma Springett, a fellow Quaker, in 1672. After 32 years of marriage and eight children—three of whom survived to adulthood—she died in 1694. Two years later, Penn married Hannah Callowhill, who was less than half his age at 26. While pregnant with their first child, Hannah accompanied Penn on a journey back to Pennsylvania in 1699. Financial difficulties forced them to return to England in 1701. Despite Penn’s suggestion that she remain in Pennsylvania, Hannah chose to return with him.

Penn’s capacity to manage his colony from afar was severely hindered after he suffered three paralytic strokes in 1712. As his health declined, Hannah took charge. For the next six years, she managed Pennsylvania’s affairs remotely, sending directives to Governor Charles Gookin and working closely with James Logan, Penn’s colonial advisor. Penn passed away on July 30, 1718, but Hannah continued to govern Pennsylvania for an additional eight years after his death.

13. WILLIAM AND HANNAH PENN WERE GRANTED HONORARY U.S. CITIZENSHIP IN 1984.

Although Penn lived most of his life in England and died decades before American independence, he is often regarded as one of the nation’s founding figures. He has earned high praise from notable leaders, including Thomas Jefferson, who once hailed him as “the greatest law-giver the world has ever produced.” Hannah also commands great respect for her contributions. On November 28, 1984, both were posthumously awarded honorary citizenship in the United States, a distinction shared by only six other individuals.

14. HE’S ASSOCIATED WITH A PHILADELPHIA SPORTS CURSE.

Philadelphia is renowned for its passionate sports fans, who endured a 25-year championship drought. From the 76ers’ NBA Finals win in 1983 to the Phillies’ World Series victory in 2008, no major Philly team claimed a title. Many attribute this dry spell to William Penn—specifically, his statue.

Atop Philadelphia’s city hall stands a 37-foot, 27-ton bronze statue of the Quaker leader. Erected in 1894, it remained the city’s tallest structure for over 90 years. Legend has it that an unwritten rule ensured no building would surpass the height of Penn’s hat.

However, the architects of One Liberty Place seemed unaware of this tradition. Completed in 1987, the 945-foot skyscraper dwarfed the statue, allegedly angering Penn’s spirit or the sports deities. Following this, Philadelphia’s four major sports teams endured a prolonged championship drought. In June 2007, the Comcast Center, standing at 975 feet, was completed. As a gesture of goodwill, a miniature Penn figurine was placed at its pinnacle. A year later, the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series. Coincidence? Comcast didn’t think so. They are now constructing an even taller building and have pledged to relocate the statue.

15. THE QUAKER OATS LOGO WAS NOT INSPIRED BY HIM.

Despite speculation, the company’s website confirms that its logo—which has evolved since the 1870s—is not modeled after William Penn. “The ‘Quaker Man’ is not a real person,” states the FAQ page. “He represents a figure in Quaker attire, symbolizing values like honesty, integrity, purity, and strength.”

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