What William Penn Might Have Thought About His “Holy Experiment” Imagine a colony that could be governed according to Quaker principles. A colony that gave equality to all people, including women, African Americans, and Indians. This type of free colony is probably what William Penn envisioned when he founded Pennsylvania in 1680. He dubbed his colonial project “The Holy Experiment,” because he wanted his colony to be ruled in the eyes of God, minding each individual’s conscience. Spiritual freedom, refuge from religious persecution, fair treatment of the Native Americans, governance according to Quaker principles, and no early military presence led Penn to believe that his colony was different than other English colonies.
William Penn clearly stated that “no People can be truly happy, though under the greatest enjoyment of civil liberties, if abridged of the freedom of their consciences, as to their religious profession and worship.” This is not a statement that any other colonial leader would make. Penn is an exception, because as a Quaker, he believed that no person should be subject to the practices of any one religion. He believed that religion is a choice, not a tradition or a forced custom.
That being said, William Penn’s notion of religious freedom directly contradicted the…show more content… Although King Charles II gave Penn the land that would soon be Pennsylvania, Penn decided that the land was not the King’s to give. Penn insisted that the land needed to be purchased from the original Native American owners at a reasonable price, so he signed a treaty with them in 1682. Penn’s friendship with the native population was essential because Quakers tend to be pacifists, so peace was important. Accordingly, the Quakers came to America unarmed and did not organize a militia until the 1740s. This is consistent with the less-abrasive, more merciful teachings of the Quaker
