As the leader of one of the most progressive religious sects to emerge from England, William Penn envisioned Pennsylvania as an example of how a God-inspired society could succeed in the wilderness of North America.

However, once in the New World, Quakers pursued both wealth and power, suggesting that even the most devout could not resist the temptations of the New World.  Despite the moral struggle, Pennsylvania succeeded beyond anyone’s imagination. By Penn’s death in 1718, Pennsylvania was well on its way to becoming the most commercially successful colonial enterprise in English history.  

The titles in the Library of American Biography Series make ideal supplements for American History Survey courses or other courses in American history where figures in history are explored. Paperback, brief, and inexpensive, each interpretative biography in this series focuses on a figure whose actions and ideas significantly influenced the course of American history and national life. At the same time, each biography relates the life of its subject to the broader themes and developments of the times.