About William Penn

William Penn was the son of a prominent English admiral with the same name. While his father wanted to groom him for a role with the English elite, Penn instead found himself drawn to the Society of Friends and became a champion of the faith and an activist for religious toleration. In 1680, William Penn petitioned King Charles II for land on the west shore of the Delaware River to establish a colony. He received a royal charter for the colony the following year and founded Pennsylvania. Back in England, he rose to political prominence through his close relationship with King James II. But when James fled the country and abdicated the throne, that relationship put Penn under suspicion and he spent a period of time hiding. In later years he struggled with financial issues as he worked to manage his Pennsylvania colony from afar. He died in 1718.