Is There Quaker in Your Family Tree II- America's most famous Quaker

America’s most famous Quaker- William Penn
  The question remains, how did The Quaker or Religious Society of Friends influence and/ or shape America. Interesting to note, the most famous Quaker in America was William Penn.  Most people know he founded the state of Pennsylvania,  originally named “Penn’s woods”, less people know that Penn was the architect of the city of Philadelphia , the first city to be laid out on a coherent grid pattern which allowed for ease of navigation and growth of the city, (http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/PENN/pnplan.html)  and even fewer people realize he was a devout , if atypical, Quaker.  The most surprising thing about William Penn is that he was born in London England and, though he visited America, he never lived there.        William Penn was born in London England on 10/14/1644 to Admiral William Penn and Margaret Jasper. Admiral Penn was away from home during much of young Williams early years and he was left in the care of a devoutly religious mother who raised William to be a staunch Anglican.  William was an exceptionally intelligent boy.  He attended grammar school in Chigwell and in 1656 attended private school in London.  The Penns moved often during William’s youth due to his father’s illustrious military career.  William completed his elementary education with a private  Tutor while the family resided in Ireland.  William was inquisitive and had a thirst for knowledge and an adventurous spirit.  He enjoyed the finer things in life, elegant clothes, good food, and good friends.  William attended Christ Church college , Oxford  and became good friends with Robert Spencer and John Locke.  He learned history, theology and was fluent in Greek, Italian, French, German, and Dutch.   It was at Oxford that William first became acquainted with some of the early teachings of George Fox.  Fox follower, Thomas Lee began to preach against some of the school religious traditions, such as the wearing of gowns.  William Penn heard Lee’s speeches and soon became a follower.  Penn refused to attend services and was fined by the school for this.  In protest against this harsh and repaid it with acts of rebellion aimed at the College administrators.  Penn was expelled from Oxford for his refusal  to comply with the status quo.  His father, angry at William for the  embarrassment this caused the elder Penn, sent William to France.  In France William was presented to Louis XIV and was a frequent and welcome guest of the court.  William enjoyed his time at court and the fashionable dress of the french nobles. William quickly forgot his quaker fancies in favor of the life of a courtier.  He was tutored by Moses Amyrault, one of the most prestigious scholars in France and  a member of the Reformed Church.  Later Penn traveled with Robert Spencer and Algernon Sidney, through France and italy.  In 1644 William was recalled to England by his father, who presented the young scholar at court.  He became a favorite of the King, was entered as a law student at Lincoln's inn and served on his father’s staff, carrying dispatches from the fleet to the king.  William wanted to join the army and follow in his father’s foot steps. He went to his father and asked him to allow young William to command a company of foot soldiers, but the Admiral refused him.   While living in Ireland and handling his father’s estates there, William had occasion to hear Thomas Lee preach in Cork.   He found his old interests reawoken and became an ardent follower of Lee, attending meetings regularly.  At this time William wholly embraced the tenets of Quakerism.    In 1667 William was arrested in Cork, along with the rest of the congregation.   He was charged with rioting and would have been released provided he promise to keep the peace, but William refused the offer and remained in jail.  After that he identified himself as a quaker in everything except dress. One of the tenets of Quakerism was/ is to maintain simple dress .  William enjoyed fine clothes  and never gave up on this one passion.  in 1668 William Penn felt himself called to the ministry.
   This decision caused a rift between William And his father and William was turned out of his father’s home.    William continued to preach openly  and began writing and publishing tracts about the Quaker faith.   William was arrested and imprisoned many times for his quaker faith and his stubborn refusal to bend to authorities.  He wrote copiously and greatly influenced the english court with his ardent refusal to bend his faith to their will.   In time William reconciled with his father and lived on good terms with him for the remainder of the Admiral’s life.  Admiral Penn died in 1670, leaving William 1500. Lb. a year.   William traveled to Germany and Holland, actively converting people to the Quaker faith.  He married Guliehna Maria Springett in 1672.   In 1674, Penn became involved with the colonization of America when he was appointed arbitrator in a land dispute between  John Fenwick and Edward Byllings.    Penn found in favor of Byllings and was soon appointed by him to care for Byllings interests and properties.  Penn worked tirelessly at colonization and sent several vessels of emigrants to the new world.  Penn then turned his attention to the Continent, Holland and Germany and advocate for colonization  and soon he sent several more ships of settlers, totally 800 families, all of the Quaker faith, to the new world and the colony of New Jersey.    William grew tired of the watching  the oppression of his friends at the hands of the king.  When Penn’s friend, Algernon Sidney ran for and won a seat in Parliament, twice and was both times refused  his seat because of his religious beliefs, Penn went to the King with a proposal.  The King owed Admiral Penn, and by virtue of inheritance, William, a large sum of money for his service to the crown.  William proposed a land settlement in lieu of cash .  William wanted a province in the new world where he could provide safe haven to Quakers and others seeking religious freedom.  On 2/24/1681 King Charles II signed a charter that gave Penn absolute proprietorship of the territory   in exchange for two beaver pelts to be provide annually to the King .  Penn called this territory Sylvannia, to which the King Prefixed Penn, in honor of Admiral Penn, thus it was that Pennsylvania was born.   William Penn and Algernon Sidney developed  a liberal government model and laws for the territory.  Organizations for  emigration were established in England,and on the continent and negotiations for land sales were entered by Penn. Penn established relations with the Indians of the region and his followers were warmly accepted among the natives of the area. Penn governed his territory until in May of 1684 he entrusted the government to a council and returned to England, leaving behind a thriving colony of 7,000. persons.   Penn's model of government was closely followed by the framers of the constitution.  he was loved and respected throughout the colonies for his wisdom and compassion.  Penn Died in Ruscombe Berkshire England on 7/30/1718 after suffering the paralytic effects of a stroke suffered in 1712.    during his lifetime Penn took up the cause of the native American’s and black slaves.  He was an advocate for human rights , advocating the equality of women and  winning the right to a free and impartial trial by jury after several challenges to the court.  Penn’s son , John was the only one of his children to be born in the territory that bears his name.      Other influential American Quakers include; President Herbert Hoover, President Richard M. Nixon, Frontiersman and hero, Daniel Boone, American patriot Betsy Ross, First Lady Dolley Madison and America’s voice and conscience in the revolutionary war, Thomas Paine.  Like Penn, Paine was not an American and did not live in America longh.  He was born in England, emigrated to the colonies and then moved to France, where he also influenced the French revolution.   The influence of these prominent Quakers and many common men, women and children throughout the country has greatly  shaped American life.  The conscientious Objector status made famous during the world wars can be attributed to Quaker Pacifism. While fiercely patriotic the faith also espouses peace and brotherhood;. Diplomacy rather than bloodshed.   Many persons of the Quaker religion, and other “peace religions”,  fought in their own way in all of the wars, from Betsy  Ross sewing the flag that would unify the troops to rally for battle.  The following comes from    http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe40s/life_05.html
Conscientious Objectors










When the war started, not everyone was eager to serve. Many had to be drafted. And others objected to war in any form. Some of these objectors came to their beliefs on their own; others were members of several Christian denominations that are known as the historic peace churches. These include the Quakers, Mennonites, Church of the Brethren and Seventh Day Adventists. In York County, Nebraska, Henderson is a predominantly Mennonite community. The question was what to do with these objectors when the country was fighting for its survival. During the Civil War, Quakers pressured Congress to allow members of the peace churches to perform alternate service, usually acting as medics who would care for wounded soldiers but not fight themselves. The World War I draft law recognized the peace churches, but prosecuted anyone else who objected on the basis of their own beliefs. Five hundred objectors were court-martialed – 17 received death sentences for refusing to fight. Although none of death sentences was carried out, almost 150 objectors were jailed for life, and others were harassed and beaten. Finally, in World War II, the draft law exempted from military service those who "by reason of religious training and belief" opposed war. The objectors still served. They were assigned to "work of national importance." This service fell into two types: First, about 25,000 objectors served in the military in "noncombatant" roles. They were medics who were in the Army but didn't carry a gun. Second, those who objected to being the military served on the home front. About 20,000 objectors fought forest fires, built conservation projects in rural areas, or took care of the mentally ill in hospitals. There were objectors who refused to even register for the draft, believing that the draft itself was supporting the killing. About 6,000 of these men went to jail. Gordon Schmidt grew up in a Mennonite community in South Dakota and decided to register as a CO when he reached 18. He says the decision to be a conscientious objector was not necessarily popular. "It was considered as being non-patriotic. That was not the case, but it was perceived as such." Gordan's wife Diena notes that the COs serving in mental hospitals during the war helped shed light on the deplorable conditions in many mental hospitals. "[Before,] the treatment of the patients had been done with force and with beating and with withholding, with punishment," Diena says. "And our fellows went in there with love and with concern for the person." All across the country, COs were appalled at the conditions of the mental institutions and began getting the word out locally. In Iowa, COs wrote to the Des Moines Register, and eventually a state commission was set up to reform mental health in the state. LIFE magazine published an exposé, calling the worst mental health hospitals "snake pits." The article documented mentally ill patients living in their own feces. Others were bound in straight jackets for days. A reform movement sprang up to improve the hospitals and develop community-based alternatives.

  Change has come slowly but it is clear that the Society of Friends have led the way to constructive change in America and throughout the world since George Fox first began to preach the word as he heard it.  The Society of Friends continues to thrive around the world and especially in the united States where 76, 360 “Friends worship across the country. http://www.quakerinfo.com/memb2012.shtml

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