Colonial America’ William Penn – The Founder of Pennsylvania for Kids
In our final week talking about colonial america for kids as part of our homeschool history unit we learned about William Penn who was a Quaker and the founder of Pennsylvania. As usual with our homeschool units they are filled with hands on history projects for kids. This is perfect for the entire homeschool family to learn about together.
Find more Colonial Activities for kids in our fun history lessons for kids like our Jamestown project ideas.
William Penn
William Penn was a fascinating figure in American history, and there’s a lot to learn about him! Born in 1644 in London, England, he was the son of a wealthy admiral. However, it was not just his family background that made him special. William Penn was a Quaker, which means he was part of a religious group that believed in peace, equality, and treating everyone with kindness.
William had some unusual ideas for his time. He believed that people should be able to practice their own religions in peace. This was not common in the 17th century when many people were persecuted for their beliefs. Because of his faith, he faced a lot of difficulties, including imprisonment. But instead of giving up, he stood firm in his convictions.
In 1681, King Charles II of England granted William Penn a large piece of land in America as payment for a debt owed to his father. This land would later become the colony of Pennsylvania, which means “Penn’s Woods.” William wanted this colony to be a place where all people could live together peacefully, regardless of their religion. He envisioned Pennsylvania as a safe haven for Quakers and other religious groups facing persecution.
When he founded Pennsylvania, William Penn established a government that was quite different from other colonies. He believed in democratic principles and wanted the people to have a voice. He called for fair laws and justice for all. He invited people from different backgrounds to come and settle in Pennsylvania, encouraging diversity and tolerance among the people.
Penn is best known for his Treaty of Shackamaxon with the Lenape Native Americans, which was a peaceful agreement based on mutual respect. This was significant because many leaders of the time treated Native Americans unfairly, but Penn tried to build good relationships with them.
Pennsylvania quickly became known as a land of opportunity, attracting many settlers seeking freedom and a better life. The city of Philadelphia, which he helped to design, became an important center for trade and culture. His policies laid the groundwork for what would later be the United States, promoting ideas of liberty and human rights.
In summary, William Penn was much more than just a founder of Pennsylvania. He was a visionary leader who sought to create a society based on peace, understanding, and respect for all people. His legacy continues to inspire us to strive for tolerance and acceptance in our communities today.
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William Penn Books for Kids
We also read The New Americans which is a great book to go back and ‘tell the story’ of the Early Settlers in the 1600s. It was a wonderful way to help my kids see how all the colonies fit together and review what we had learned.
- William Penn: Founder of Pennsylvania (Graphic Biographies series)
- The New Americans: Colonial Times: 1620-1689 (The American Story)
Shadow portraits
Colonists were not able to take many things with them when they left for America. Camera’s had not been invented and it was expensive and time consuming to have an oil picture made of oneself. So Silhouette pictures became popular with colonists as a way to preserve loved ones likenesses and decorate their homes. Here is our Colonial Silhouette Picture.
Colonial Punishment Stocks
Stocks were used in Colonial America to punish colonists. One punishable item was blasphemy. In the stocks people were submitted to public humiliation as others were encourage to laugh at them (where the term laughing stock comes from) and throw mud, eggs, and rotten vegetables at them. We made our own stocks. The kids determined it would not be fun to be stuck like this.
Colonial Pennsylvania worksheets
And we added the remaining pages to our Life in colonial America Book:
- William Penn & Pennsylvania
- Puritan Boston & Salem
- French in America
- Spanish in America
- Colonial Expansion & Native Americans
- 1700s in Colonial America
- 13 Colonies Mapwork & Review
- ]Book Cover
Colonial America Workseets
Plus don’t forget to grab the free printable life in Colonial America Workseets with places to color, label, and notebooking pages too.
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History for Kids
Check out one of or MANY engaging, Free history lessons for kids or go to American History for kids including lots of fun, hands on activities, blank timeline template, and lots more printables. Plus don’t miss free Who Was Series biography report templates, historical fiction books for kids arranged in chronological order or Digging into World History Curriculum for the whole family to learn together!
- Dive into Mesopotamia History to learn about Gilgamesh and free printable sunday school lessons for kids
- Ancient Civlizations of MesoAmerica: Who Were the Ancient Maya People Readers, Inca Facts Reader, and Aztecs for Kids Reader
- Learn about Ancient Egypt Activities, crafts, lessons, worksheets, ancient egypt free printables, hieroglyphics activity worksheet pdf, and more!
- Discover Ancient Greece for kids and Ancient Rome for Kids
- Early Explorers for Kids hands-on lessons about Vikings for Kids, Henry the Navigator and Marco Polo for kids, Vasco de Gama / Vespuci / Christopher Columbus for kids, Magellan and the Spanish Conquistadores for kids, Drake / Cartier / Henry Hudson for kids, plus free printable Leif Erikson for Kids reader, Viking Worksheets, and printable famous explorers for kids reader
- Learn about Middle Ages for Kids with lessons and activities about Medieval Castles for Kids, Knight for Kids, Medieval Church for Kids, Medieval Art: Music, Tapestry, Giotto for Kids, and Door in the Wall Study Guide
- Make a teepee, dig for arrowheads, color our printable books and more in this Native Americans for Kids lessons – East Woodland Indians, Comanche Plains Tribes, Southwest Tribes of the Navajo and Hopi, Pacific Northwest Tribes, Florida’s Seminole tribe
- The Colonial America for Kids lesson takes kids back to the first American settlements in the 13 colonies Jamestown Activities, Pilgrims for Kids, Dutch & Sweed Settlers, Pennsylvania William Penn for Kids, plus free printable Jamestown worksheet pdf reader, preschool Thanksgiving printables, and how to make a wattle and daub house school project
- Make westward expansion for kids come alive – 1783-1898 including Lewis and Clark for Kids, Oregon Trail for Kids, Pony Express for Kids , Gold Rush, and the Transcontinental Railroad, plus Westward Expansion for Kids reader and Wild West Worksheets
- American Civil War for Kids lesson with Civil War Coloring Pages, free People of the Civil War flip book, Civil War Worksheets, and Civil War Games for students
- Modern US History resources – U.S. History timeline printable, free Titanic for Kids Reader, World War 1 worksheets pdf, Roaring 1920s for Kids, 1930s Great Depression for Kids, life in the 1940s America for Kids Anne Frank for Kids, free World War 2 workshets pdf, 1950s for Kids, Rosa Parks Worksheets pdf, printable Martin Luther King Jr for Kids, life in the 1960s for Kids , 1970s for kids reader, 1980s for Kids, 1990s for Kids, life for early 2000s Kids , and review with American History Worksheets
- Learn about US States for Kids including resources such as American Symbols Worksheets, American Symbols for Kids research pages, US States I Spy Worksheets, cute State Coloring Pages, USA President Coloring Pages, handy USA for Kids reader, United States Coloring Pages, free 50 States Worksheets, printable 50 States printable booklet, US Bird Scavenger Hunt, Flowers United States Scavenger Hunt, State Animals Scavenger Hunt, U.S. Presidents Worksheets pdf, free Voting and elections worksheet , handy printable list of 50 states and capitals, and States and Capitals Matching Game

Colonial America Worksheets #3
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