37 William Penn, “Letter from William Penn to the King of the Indians”
William Penn
Quaker leader William Penn devoted his life and wealth to supporting and defending Quakerism. When Charles II of England granted Penn a charter for the colony of Pennsylvania in 1681, he founded a government that allowed the inhabitants to live free from religious persecution.
Photo Source: Library of Congress. Prints and Photographs Division.
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Lond. 18th 8-81
My Freinds,
There is one great God and Power that hath made ye world and all things therein, so whom you and I and all People owe their being and wellbeing, and to whom you and I must one Day give an account, for all that we do in this world: this great Power God hath written his law in our hearts, by which we are taught and commanded to love and help and do good to one another, and not to do harme and mischeif [?] unto one an’other. Now this great God hath been pleased to make me concerned in [?] parts of the world, and the king of the Countrey where I live, hath given unto me a great Province therein, but I desire to enjoy it with your Love and Consent, that we may al – always live together as Neighbors and freinds, else what would the great God say to us, who hath made us not to devour and destroy one an other but live Soberly and kindly together in the world. Now I would have you well to observe, that I am very Sensible of the unkindness and Injustice that hath been too much exersised towards you by the People of thes Parts of the world, who have sought themselves, and to make great Advantages by you, rather then be examples of Good [?] & Goodness unto you, which I hear, hath been matter of Trouble to you, and caused great Grudgings and Animosities, Sometimes to the Shedding of blood, which hath made the great God Angry. but I am not such a man, as is well known in my own Country: I have great love and regard towards you, and I desire to [win?] and gain your Love & freindship by a kind, just and peaceable life; and the People I send are of the same mind, & Shall in all things behave themselvs accordingly; and if in any thing any Shall offend you or your People, you shall have a full and speedy Satisfaction for the same ^by an equal number on both sides [?] that by no means you may have just occasion of being offended against them; I Shall Shortly come to you my Selfe. At what time we may more largely and freely confer [on?] discourse of thes matters; in the mean time ^ I have sent my commissioners to [?] you about [?] to a league of the peace, left [We?] desire you to be kind to my them [?] people, and receive thes Presents and Tokens which I have sent to you, as a Testimony of my Good will to you, and my resolution to ive Justly peaceably and freindy with you, I am your Freind.
William Penn
Source: Historical Society of Pennsylvania, https://hsp.org/education/primary-sources/letter-from-william-penn-to-the-king-of-the-indians, Accessed January 17, 2023.