William Penn

William Penn
Portrait of William Penn
Born(1644-10-14)14 October 1644
London, England
Died30 July 1718(1718-07-30) (aged 73)
Berkshire, England
Spouse(s)Gulielma Maria Springett, Hannah Margaret Callowhill
ChildrenWilliam Penn, Jr., John Penn ("the American"), Thomas Penn, Richard Penn, Sr., Letitia Penn, Margaret Penn, Dennis Penn, Hannah Penn
Parent(s)Admiral Sir William Penn and Margaret Jasper
Signature

William Penn (14 October 1644-30 July 1718) was an English colonial leader. He was very wealthy and owned slaves who he forced to work on his plantation.[1] He was given what would become the US state of Pennsylvania by King Charles II as a debt to his father. Penn was a member of the Religious Society of Friends, who are known as Quakers.

Penn and his wife were made honorary United States citizens in 1984 by US President Ronald Reagan. He was friends with George Fox.

References

  1. ↑ Avery, Ron (2010-12-20). "Slavery stained some unlikely founders, too". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2020-10-31. Retrieved 2020-10-27.