William Penn's acquisition of Pennsylvania made him the largest private landholder in the history of the world. He could have governed his colony as he saw fit, and yet he chose to give the power of government to the people.
Learn how Penn envisioned his "Holy Experiment" as a place where people of different faiths could live together not in unity, but in harmony, each free to worship as their conscience dictated. Many of the rights that we take for granted such as free speech, trial by jury, and free elections come from Penn's Charter of Privileges. In Pennsylvania, Penn planted the "Seeds of a Nation" which, in time, would grow into some of our most fundamental freedoms.
The National Constitution Center is partnering with neighboring sites throughout Historic Philadelphia for our Finding the Founders scholarly series. These programs explore the ideas of equality and freedom through the lens of the American Revolution, and provide an expanded understanding of Independence Day—one that sees the holiday as both a celebration and an acknowledgment of America’s ongoing struggle to achieve the ideals expressed in the nation’s founding documents.