William Penn was an English Quaker who founded the colony of Pennsylvania in 1681 on his principles of religious freedom. William Penn was born in 1644, and was the son of a naval officer who achieved the rank of admiral. William was an educated man. He attended Oxford University in London. William was expelled from Oxford in 1661 for religious beliefs. Luckily he completed his education in France and Italy. Penn joined the Quakers in 1666. The Quakers were highly religious people. Penn wrote 42 pamphlets and books in the next seven years. His most famous work was the book No Cross, No Crown. Penn was imprisoned several times for writing and preaching about Quakerism. King Charles II gave Penn most of the land in Delaware. He also named the colony Pennsylvania after Penn`s father.

Penn had two wives during his life. With his first wife he had eight children, and with his second wife he had seven children. In 1670 he was arrested at a Quaker meeting and was accused of planning with another Quaker to start a riot. Penn mainly stayed in England to defend the rights of all American colonies and particularly of Pennsylvania. William died in 1718 of a stroke. Penn is remembered for fighting for religious rights and writing his books.