Eleanor Finch
The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 was the state's first constitution following its declaration of independence. It was drafted by Robert Whitehill, Timothy Matlack, Dr. Thomas Young, George Bryan, James Cannon, and Benjamin Franklin. The constitution was proclaimed in late September 1776 and called for elections in November for a new Assembly to be convened under its provisions. The Pennsylvania Constitution served as a template for Vermont's 1777 constitution. Philadelphia, the city that hosted the Second Continental Congress, was founded by William Penn as the Capitol of the Province of Pennsylvania. The original city plan was designed by Penn's surveyor, Thomas Holme, and featured a gridiron street pattern and open public squares. The city's architecture is a mix of historic and modern styles, with buildings such as the Washington Monument designed by architects including William Strickland and John Haviland.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the person who wrote Pennsylvania's first constitution and designed Philadelphia | William Penn |
| Date of birth | October 14, 1644* or October 24, 1644 |
| Pennsylvania's first constitution | The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 |
| Date of ratification | September 28, 1776 |
| Drafted by | Robert Whitehill, Timothy Matlack, Dr. Thomas Young, George Bryan, James Cannon, and Benjamin Franklin |
| Established | Pennsylvania's official title, the "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" |
| Influence | It served as a template for Vermont's 1777 constitution |
| Replaced by | A new constitution in 1790 |
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What You'll Learn
- William Penn founded Pennsylvania and designed Philadelphia
- Penn was an advocate for religious freedom
- He was granted a large parcel of land in the New World by King Charles II
- The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 was the state's first constitution
- The constitution was drafted by Robert Whitehill, Timothy Matlack, Dr. Thomas Young, and others
William Penn founded Pennsylvania and designed Philadelphia
William Penn, an advocate of religious freedom, founded Pennsylvania and designed Philadelphia. Born in 1644, Penn was granted a large parcel of land in the "New World" by King Charles II in 1681 as repayment for a loan the king had received from Penn's father, Admiral Sir William Penn. This land became Pennsylvania, with Penn given the power to create laws, establish a court system, and create towns, boroughs, and cities within the colony.
Penn's influence set the framework not only for Pennsylvania's constitution but also for the U.S. Constitution. In 1682, he drew up his first Frame of Government for the colony, with the aim of forming a democracy. This first Frame of Government was designed to balance power and liberty: "To support Power in Reverence with the People, And to secure the People from the abuse of Power; that they may be Free by their just Obedience, and the Magistrates Honourable for their just Administration: For Liberty without Obedience is Confusion, and Obedience without Liberty is Slavery."
Pennsylvania had several Frames of Government before the American Revolution, the latest of which was the 1701 Charter of Privileges, which remained in effect until the Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention of 1776. The 1776 Constitution of Pennsylvania was the state's first constitution following its declaration of independence, and it has been described as one of the most democratic in America. It was drafted by Robert Whitehill, Timothy Matlack, Dr. Thomas Young, George Bryan, James Cannon, and Benjamin Franklin.
The 1776 Constitution established Pennsylvania's official title, the "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," and served as a template for the Vermont Republic's 1777 constitution. It included a declaration of rights that coincided with the Virginia Declaration of Rights of the same year. The Pennsylvania Constitution was replaced in 1790 by a new constitution that more evenly considered the complexities of government and the rights of citizens.
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Penn was an advocate for religious freedom
William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, was one of the earliest and most prominent advocates for religious freedom in early America. Penn's beliefs were shaped by his experiences as a Quaker in England, where he was expelled from the Church of England and the University of Oxford for his non-conformist views and rejection of Anglicanism. He believed in the "Inner Light of Christ" and criticised formal external religion.
Penn's views on religious freedom were further influenced by his time in France, where he studied among persecuted Huguenots (French Protestants), and his travels around Europe, where he met Quakers and the philosopher John Locke. When non-conformists were persecuted in Britain, Penn became an outspoken advocate for religious freedom, even facing imprisonment for his beliefs. He corresponded with Roger Williams of Rhode Island and protested to colonial authorities when Quakers in Massachusetts were mistreated.
Penn's colony of Pennsylvania was a "Holy Experiment" in religious tolerance. It was self-governing, had no state church, and allowed religious pluralism. While it forbade irreverence against God, it did not impose conformity to a specific sect. Penn's framework for the colony was based on the ideas of freedom and religious tolerance, and he believed that people were born with certain natural rights and privileges of freedom. In his First Frame of Government (1682), he provided for secure private property, free enterprise, a free press, trial by jury, and religious toleration.
Penn's progressive ideas on religious tolerance had a profound and lasting impact on American religious freedom. His colony became one of the most religiously tolerant places in the world at the time, setting an example for the future nation of the United States. Penn's views directly influenced the framers of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, helping to embed the principles of religious freedom into the foundation of American law.
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He was granted a large parcel of land in the New World by King Charles II
In 1681, King Charles II granted William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania and an advocate for religious freedom, a large parcel of land in the New World. This was in payment for the money that Admiral Sir William Penn, Penn's father, had loaned the king. The Charter of the Province of Pennsylvania, signed by the king on March 4, 1681, delineated the boundaries of Pennsylvania and granted Penn, "his heirs and assignees" use of all lands and waters within.
The Charter also granted Penn the power to create laws, establish a court system with appointed judges, and create towns, boroughs, and cities within Pennsylvania. In 1682, Penn drew up his first Frame of Government for the colony, which he intended to be democratic. In his own words, "Any Government is Free to the People under it... where the Laws Rule, and the People are a Party to those Laws, and more then this is Tyranny, Oligarchy, or Confusion."
Penn's first Frame of Government was an exercise in the development of liberty. It was designed "To support Power in Reverence with the People, And to secure the People from the abuse of Power; that they may be Free by their just Obedience, and the Magistrates Honourable for their just Administration: For Liberty without Obedience is Confusion, and Obedience without Liberty is Slavery."
Penn's influence set the framework not only for Pennsylvania's Constitution but also for the U.S. Constitution. Many of Pennsylvania's founding documents, including the 1701 Charter of Privileges, which remained in effect until the Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention of 1776, are available for free online from the Pennsylvania Legislative Reference Bureau. The 1701 Charter of Privileges granted liberties, franchises, and privileges to the freemen, planters, and inhabitants of Pennsylvania. These included religious freedom, a General Assembly chosen by the people, a criminal defendant's right to counsel, and the precursor to procedural due process.
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The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 was the state's first constitution
The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 was highly democratic and featured a unicameral legislature and a collective executive. It included a declaration of rights that coincided with the Virginia Declaration of Rights of the same year. The constitution also established a Council of Censors, elected every seven years, to evaluate the state government's activities and ensure they aligned with the constitution. It gave power to the people, with the supreme legislative power vested in a house of representatives of the freemen of Pennsylvania. The supreme executive power was vested in a president and council, with the president having the power to appoint judges, naval officers, and other civil and military officers.
The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 was influenced by the writings of Thomas Paine and the sentiment for independence from England. It replaced the previous Frame of Government established by William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania and advocate for religious freedom. Penn's influence set the framework not only for Pennsylvania's Constitution but also for the U.S. Constitution. Penn's Charter of Privileges, the latest Frame of Government before the American Revolution, remained in effect until the Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention of 1776.
The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 was replaced in 1790 by a new constitution that better reflected the ongoing political changes and the complexities of governing a state. The 1776 constitution was controversial, as it set the stage for a less effective government by placing power in the hands of a single assembly without checks and balances. However, it was also influential, with its democratic principles inspiring the French Republic's formation under the French Constitution of 1793.
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The constitution was drafted by Robert Whitehill, Timothy Matlack, Dr. Thomas Young, and others
The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 was the state's first constitution following its declaration of independence. It was drafted by Robert Whitehill, Timothy Matlack, Dr. Thomas Young, George Bryan, James Cannon, and Benjamin Franklin. The constitution was ratified on September 28, 1776, and it established Pennsylvania's official title as the "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."
The constitution included a declaration of rights that coincided with the Virginia Declaration of Rights of the same year. It also featured a unicameral legislature and a collective executive, which may have influenced the later French Republic's formation under the French Constitution of 1793. The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 has been described as one of the most democratic in America. It expanded the franchise and enumerated the rights of citizens, increasing the democratic nature of Pennsylvania's governing charter.
The framers of the constitution placed power in the hands of a single assembly, without a governor or an upper house to check or balance that power. This set the stage for a less effective government, as it allowed for one-party rule. The constitution also included provisions for a Council of Censors, elected every seven years, to evaluate the state government's activities and ensure compliance with the constitution.
The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 was replaced in 1790 by a new constitution that more evenly considered the complexities of government and the rights of citizens. This change in government was influenced by ongoing political changes within the province during the Revolution, as the views of some political leaders evolved and differed from those of the Provincial Assembly and the Deputy Governor, John Penn.
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Frequently asked questions
William Penn was responsible for drawing up the first Frame of Government for the colony of Pennsylvania in 1682.
The first Frame of Government was an exercise in the development of liberty, designed to "support Power in Reverence with the People, and to secure the People from the abuse of Power".
The Charter granted Penn the power to create laws, establish a court system with appointed judges, and create towns, boroughs, and cities within Pennsylvania.
Yes, Pennsylvania had several Frames of Government before the American Revolution, the latest of which was the 1701 Charter of Privileges, which remained in effect until the Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention of 1776.
