INTRODUCTION:
I doe hereby Grant and Declare that noe person or persons Inhabiting in this Province or Territories who shall Confesse and Acknowledge one Almighty God the Creator upholder and Ruler of the world ? shall be in any case molested or prejudiced in his or theire person or Estate because of his or theire Conscientious perswasion or practice nor be compelled to frequent or mentaine any Religious Worship place or Ministry contrary to his or theire mind or doe or Suffer any other act or thing contrary to theire Religious perswasion
Pennsylvania's "1701 Charter of Privileges"
In 2001 We Celebrated the 300th Anniversary
of a Living Experiment in
Religious Liberty & Representative Government
INTRODUCTION VIEW the CHARTER WHY CELEBRATE
WHAT WE DID IN 2001 RESOURCES
VIEW the 16-PAGE EDUCATIONAL SUPPLEMENT on WILLIAM PENN and the 1701 CHARTER
William Penn, Pennsylvania's 1701 Charter of Privileges, 28 October 1701
With these words William Penn began to enumerate the privileges residents of Pennsylvania were to enjoy until the American Revolution brought about a new government, independent of English oversight.
This document has been called
WHAT IS THE TEXT OF THE DOCUMENT LIKE? View the Charter
WHY CELEBRATE the ANNIVERSARY of a DOCUMENT?
Many reasons, including these:- Richness is added to our lives when we recall the unique Quaker heritage of Pennsylvania and the Greater Delaware Valley Region.
- It's good to remind ourselves of the importance of the fundamental liberties which Americans treasure and which have been the foundation of the genius of America -- religious freedom, the separation of church & state, and responsive, participatory, representative government.
- In the aftermath of recent events, it may be helpful to anchor present-day concerns for religious liberty, cultural diversity, toleration of differences, civil liberties, responsive representative government, and a safe, civil society to the thoughtful efforts of our region's founders. The struggle to balance safety and liberty and the challenge to find peaceful ways to settle disputes with justice for all were on the mind's of 17th century colonists in this region, as they as own our today.
Pennsylvania's 1701 Charter of Privileges provides a wonderful tool by which to achieve these goals.
How to participate -- in 2001 and beyond!
WHAT WE DID IN 2001 (2001 calendar of events)
An array of activities took place from March through November, 2001, celebrating the 300th anniversary of this Charter. Although most of the events are over, those organizations which sponsored them continue to be valuable resources for information about the history of the Greater Philadelphia area and/or its Quaker heritage.
To assist you to explore the meaning and impact of the 1701 Charter, the Quaker Information Center - enabled by a grant from the Tyson Fund:
- Will provide to any inquirer some basic information about the 1701 Charter of Privileges and William Penn's 1701 Charter of the Friends Public Schools -- regarding the education for Pennsylvania's youth. For a packet of information, call (215) 241-7024 or e-mail: info@quakerinfo.org. (Make sure to provide your postal address in each case.)
- Kicked-off the year's activities with a conference/training day - on Wednesday, February 21st, 2001 -- for educators, students, tour guides, historic interpreters, history buffs, and others. The theme was "Pennsylvania's 1701 Charter of Privileges: Celebrating the 300th Anniversary of a Living Experiment in Religious Liberty & Representative Government". The aims for the day were to provide a clear explication of the contents of the "1701 Charter of Privileges", viewed within its historical context; to explore its impact upon 18th century Pennsylvania; and to showcase other events scheduled for March through October. This conference was taped by the Pennsylvania Cable Network, which airs segments from time to time.
- Produced, in conjunction with the Philadelphia Inquirer's Newspapers-in-Education program, a 16-page educational supplement about the 1701 Charter of Privileges (a pdf file) for distribution to over 60,000 middle and high school students on a well-publicized day in October (near William Penn's birthday - 10/24). A copy of this supplement is included in each 1701 Charter information packet, mentioned above. Or, you may print a reproducible copy from the version on our web-site.
- Developed a useful bibliography related to William Penn; Quaker Education; the 1701 Charter of Privileges; the Founding of Pennsylvania; and the principles of Religious Liberty, Separation of Church & State, and Responsive Representative Government.