William Penn: A Religious Hero

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William Penn- A Religious Hero
Pennsylvania is home to approximately 12.78 million people. The state was established almost 350 years ago by a Quaker whom is named William Penn. His establishment of the U.S. state Pennsylvania was, and is presently, his most known achievement. A profuse amount of people believe the state was named after Penn himself, however, the state was named after his father, Admiral Sir William Penn (America's Story from America's Library , n.d.). Pennsylvania was founded as a religious safe haven for Catholics. William Penn not only founded a state, but saved an innumerable number of Quakers and other religions not welcome to society from being persecuted and unwelcomed.
William Penn was born on October 14, 1644 into a distinguished Anglican family in London, England. He was the oldest of three children of Admiral William Penn and Margaret Jasper. Around the age of thirteen, the Quaker Thomas Loc preached at the admiral’s invitation which intensified his religious feelings. (Association, 1995)Although his religious beliefs were
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(Association, 1995)Although Penn was involved in the newly formed settlements, he remained in England devising a charter of liberties that are now the first, sixth, and seventh amendment in the Bill of Rights. King Charles II settled his large loan with Penn’s father. After his death in September of the year 1670, King Charles II granted William the area west and south of the New Jersey territory. Originally, Penn called it “Sylvania”, which is Latin for “woods”. (Association, 1995) Theories have been made that the king was satisfied in having a place that offered religious and political liberties distant from England, which could possibly explain why King Charles later changed the name to Pennsylvania in honor of the late Admiral Penn. (Association,

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