Carter Penegor

HIS 108 Sec: 003 Calvert

September 20, 2015
William Penn, Preface of the Frame of Government for Pennsylvania (1682)
Many may think that the then colony/now state of Pennsylvania was named after Mr.
William Penn. Those people are half correct, it is actually named after his father, Sir William
Penn of England. His son, William Penn, was an English real estate entrepreneur and early
Quaker who took over the land that was gifted from King Charles II as a debt that he owed to
Penns father.1 His leadership in fighting for the Quakers and what they believe in, showed the
English King that he would be the right fit for ruling new land in the New World.
In the writing of this preface for the Frame of Government for Pennsylvania, Penn had originally
written it for the important laws that he would like to implement in his colony, but rather seem
hypocritical to the audience. He decided on hitting a few of the major problems that needed to be
dealt with in the New World, which once the Constitution was written, it was obvious where a
few of the key points that were stated came from the ideas of William Penn. Penn was one of the
first and very few that talked about freedom of religion and the creation of the American
democracy as we now know it today. Freedom of religion was especially import to Penn because
he being a Quaker was very unique when making his way to America compared to everyone else
already settled. He wanted a location where he and his fellow Quakers could settle and not be
radicalized and hated for simply their religion.2 Everything took place during the time of the
settlements into the Middle Colonies such as Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey.

1 "Brief History of William Penn." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall

Association. Web. 22 Sept. 2015.
2Powell, Jim. "William Penn, America's First Great Champion for Liberty and
Peace." Ideas on Liberty. The Freedom. Web. 22 Sept. 2015.

William Penn was a smart man, he formed this preface to the constitution-like frame of the
government viewing his perspective on the many issues when forming a new government from
scratch. The way he would speak about God for example, it pleased him, to fit him, and he
did not only qualifie him3 explains the relationship he has with God. This being at the beginning
of the preface, it sets the mood for the rest of his writing considering he believes man are abusing
their power as a government when God doesnt want that, according to Penn.4 An important idea
that Penn had made towards laws being established was, knowing that law was not made for the
righteous man; but for the disobedient and ungodly, for sinners, for unholy and prophane, etc.,5
because usually people abide by the laws because they were originally put together by the time
they were old enough to understand the true meaning of a law, but if laws werent created for the
men that he had stated, then government may not be implemented and the horrific people of this
country would be causing violence in a country free of a stable and guided leader.
Penn also believes that government is related to or intertwined with religion in a way that
it really shouldnt be due to the fact that based off of biased leaders, they could strictly limit what
religions were acceptable and which were not. Lately in the news, the Republican Party
candidates have been all of the talk when it comes to the government. One topic that has arisen is
that of a Muslim man or woman being the president and if they would like to see it occur or not.
GOP candidate Ben Carson has made a statement that he would not advocate that we put a
Muslim in charge of this country. I absolutely would not agree with that.6 This is a direct
example of the government being too closely intertwined with religion because he is stating that
3 William Penn, Preface of the Frame of Government for Pennsylvania (1682),
pg. 33 of reader
4
5
6 Bradner, Eric. "Ben Carson: U.S. Shouldn't Elect a Muslim President." CNN.
Cable News Network, 21 Sept. 2015. Web. 22 Sept. 2015.

just because a person is a Muslim, he would not advocate them into presidency. Penn would be
stunned if he were alive to witness this catastrophic characterization.
Penn also sees the government as a more private society that many are not invited or
involved with. He would rather this not be the case. Stating that the care and compassion of how
the world leaders contribute their relationships with the people more soft and sweet is what
makes up much of the greatest part of the government.7 William Penn also wrote that government
not following his lead in the improvements towards a greater society, will not prosper and will
end as a result.8 Another one of his acknowledgements while coming in contact with how men
are siding with their passion against what truly is reason and obviously correct. He is
dumbfounded in a sense that he doesnt even know what it is for him to do to correct the minds
of these charismatic individuals.9
His hatred towards the founders of America and the rights/laws that he was brought into
dealing with even in their bright mind and at their best couldnt even be good nor great in his
mind. He even believes them to be clueless in a sense that they dont know what they are talking
about when it comes to what is the right direction for colonized settlers and the formation of an
elaborate government.10
One quote stuck out to me the most and that was, I know some say, Let us have good
laws, and no matter for the Men that execute them: But let them consider that though good Laws
do well, good Men do better: for good Laws may want good Men, and be abolished or evaded by
ill Men; but good Men will never want good Laws, nor suffer Ill Ones. I find this to be a really
important quote that relates to the topic at hand being the state of man as the highest dominance
7 *See footnote 3
8
9 William Penn, Preface of the Frame of Government for Pennsylvania (1682),
pg. 34 of reader
10

of the food chain, it may be that one man may not agree with one law, but another doesnt agree
with a different set of laws, causing friction and conflict between the two groups but when one
gets their way in the argument, both sides are still not settled on one agreement therefore causing
another uprising. The end result of this flamboyant revolt concludes with neither side giving into
suffering an ill law, plus not admitting to agreeing to a so-called good law in both of their
imaginations.11 Penns conclusion towards this topic stating that superstitious people will love
their superstitious laws indicates his anger and constant overwhelming troubles when dealing
with making his transition from English-born real estate entrepreneur to ruler of a new colony in
the New World. Getting the adults to realize that their children are going to have it worse than
they did in terms of the government unless things are able to be resolved sooner rather than
later.12
Penn being problematic, decides to take a different approach that being creating and
enforcing laws that he/his followers have each came up with, including various opinions from a
first-hand perspective at what the government is doing wrong, but still opinionated. He would
enjoy a relaxed government that includes members who choose not to abuse their powers as a
higher and more significant rank in the publics point of view. He states, For Liberty without
Obedience is Confusion, and Obedience without Liberty is Slavery which go hand-in-hand
when dealing with two of the key issues that went about in America at the start, slavery and
confusion of the governing.13
In comparing the similarities and differences between two of William Penns famous
writings that shaped American culture include the Preface to the Frame of Government for
Pennsylvania and Some Fruits of Solitude, it can be noted that each include the opinions of
11
12
13

Penn and how he plans on shaping the government of America into a well-rounded section of
land starting with his gifted colony, Pennsylvania.14
Eleven years apart, these two documents still stay strong to their roots deep inside of
William Penn. Although differences may occur, his overall theme is still the same, that the
government is ineffective and that his laws and understandings of the world would better mold
the government into an all out better formula. It is important to understand the idea of religion to
the Quakers because it does mean so much to them as a whole, but on the flip side, being used to
control them in government which isnt what God wants to have happen. Penn believes the two
should be separate when regarding religion and government together but it doesnt always work
out like that. The collaboration of people today is what makes America a great place to live. It
doesnt feel as he describes the seventeenth century as nave15 although there can be times when
Donald Trump is acting more like a child and less like an adult. Differences between the texts
include what each purpose was for each document. For the Frame of Government for
Pennsylvania, Penn elected to discuss the majority of negatives about the government and how
distinctive it was from his religion and what he believed. For Some Fruits of Solitude, Penn
discusses for the majority about what he could do for the better, including his many laws he
would implement to keep religion and government separate and still allow people to have liberty
and freedom just as they hoped theyd receive when travelling to the New World or otherwise
known as America.16
There is a journal published by Gary B. Nash called The Framing of Government in
Pennsylvania: Ideas in Contact with Reality. He explains that Penns preface to this document
14 & William Penn, selections from Some Fruits of Solitude (1693) pgs.
37-45 of reader
15 *See footnote 9
16 *See footnote 14

was more than likely forced out of him by a few of his friends who wanted the better for the
colony, knowing Penn had the power to do something about it.17 Everything that will be
mentioned about the historical significance of this document will come out of Nashs journal
based on the ideals of Penn and what he must have been thinking during this time period. One of
the problems that Penn would deal with is the need to capitalize his colonial enterprise.18 More
outcomes including Penn becoming scarce with his money, his enterprises back in England and
Ireland werent doing too well, which is where he made most of his money from.19 Once this
document was written and shared with the public, Penn amongst other Quakers became the
richest men in England. He became one of the must know people in the Quaker community
nonetheless the whole world! It did change the course of History in a sense that offered a wider
variety in what religions you could be, what types of rights you could have, and a lesser involved
government. Pennsylvania was viewed as the hotspot for freedom of religion, real estate, and a
relaxed government, that every other colony hoped theyd one day be able to follow. This colony
was primarily popular for how the capital to investment distinctions were primarily uprooted
when diagnosing the problem and solution in order to create change. He not only wanted
Pennsylvania to be a city of religion refuge/a place for the English Quakers to build their city, but
to create a field ripe for economic exploitation and Penn wanted to trade bargain with the other
Quaker provinces throughout the world.20
We care about this document because it thoroughly dissected the political and emotional
issues with the beginning stages of America at this point in time. Without Penns expertise,
17 Nash, Gary B. "The Framing of Government in Pennsylvania: Ideas in
Contact with Reality." Jstor. University of Kentucky Libraries. Web. 22 Sept.
2015.
18
19
20

religious freedoms may have came a little further down the road of a long journey to sovereignty.
This document introduced a different point of view into the American sights when understanding
what is and isnt unapproachable. Penn helped shape the American mindset through a few of his
different opinions that he shared through this document that would later be implemented into
similar formats into the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.21

21 Inferred from William Penns preface of the document on pgs. 33-34 of

reader