Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

(b. London, England, 14 October 1644; d. Ruscombe, Berkshire, England, 30 July 1718) Son of a rich and politically influential admiral, to whom C harles ii owed a small fortune, Penn joined the Q uakers about 1666, suffered imprisonment in 1668–9, and became a proprietor of W est J ersey in 1676 and E ast J ersey in 1681. On 14 March 1681, Charles II canceled a £16,000 debt owed to Penn's father by granting him P ennsylvania as a proprietary colony . The D elaware area was appended to the colony in 1682. Penn's Frame of Government established an elective legislature in 1682. On 28 October 1682, he landed at New Castle, Del., to take possession of his lands and was governor for two years. He established amicable relations with the Indians that kept Pa. at peace until 1756 and laid out Philadelphia's distinctive design as a “greene Country Towne.” Forced to return to England in 1684 on personal business, he was absent from Pa. until 1699. His close relationship with J ames ii led W illiam iii to make Pa. a royal colony from 1692 to 1694. Again in Pa. between 1699 and 1701, Penn issued the Charter of Privileges (1701), which made Pa. the only colony with a unicameral legislature. Ruined by the incompetent management and embezzlement of his estate, he was sent to debtors' prison from 1717 to 1718. ... log in or subscribe to read full text