The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as the Pennsylvania Colony, was a British North American colony founded by William Penn, who received the land through a grant from Charles II of England in 1681. The name Pennsylvania was derived from "Penn's Woods", referring to William Penn's father Admiral Sir William Penn.
Benjamin West's 1771 portrait of William Penn's 1682 treaty with the Lenape
William Penn was an English writer, religious thinker, and influential Quaker who founded the Province of Pennsylvania during the British colonial era. Penn, an advocate of democracy and religious freedom, was known for his amicable relations and successful treaties with the Lenape Native Americans who had resided in present-day Pennsylvania prior to European settlements in the state.
Penn depicted in an 18th century illustration
All Hallows-by-the Tower Church in London, where Penn was baptized in 1644
A 1666 portrait of Penn at age 22
A plaque memorializing Penn's trial at Old Bailey; in 1688, Penn was imprisoned and held in solitary confinement in the Tower of London following his publication criticizing the practices of the Catholic Church and Church of England.