William Penn s Holy Experiment was a dedicated man s sincere effort to create a land where people of all faiths could live peacefully together. He founded Pennsylvania primarily as a safe haven for Quakers who were persecuted in Britain and other European countries. But he welcomed anyone, Quaker or not, who wanted to work hard to make a new life for his or her family. Penn's childhood was a happy one lived mostly in the country with his parents and brother and sister. He was a young adult when he first showed interest in the Quaker faith, and that interest never faded. His parents tried to persuade him tothat they mapped out for him as a government worker or some sort of royal official. Instead he founded Pennsylvania and formed his own government. It was as close as any colony would come to being a democracy.

A collection of 20 essays, by a distinguished panel of specialists in British and American history, that explores the complex political, economic, intellectual, religious, and social environment in which William Penn lived and worked.

A comprehensive, annotated, illustrated bibliography, with essays placing the work in perspective and describing the underground press of the day.