Holy Experiment facts for kids
The Holy Experiment was a special plan by a religious group called the Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers. They wanted to create a safe place for themselves and other people who were treated unfairly because of their beliefs. This place became the state of Pennsylvania. The Quakers hoped to show the world that they could live peacefully and successfully without anyone bothering them.
However, this experiment didn't last forever. It ended partly because William Penn, who started it, passed away. Also, there were disagreements between Quakers and non-Quakers in the colony. One big issue was whether to create a local army, which went against Quaker beliefs about peace.
Contents
A New Beginning in Pennsylvania
How Pennsylvania Was Started
William Penn was the son of a high-ranking admiral in the Royal Navy. He became a Quaker when he was young and was friends with George Fox, who founded the Quaker religion. Like many early Quakers, Penn faced jail and unfair treatment for his beliefs. But because his family was important, he didn't suffer as much as others.
Penn was also interested in the Americas. He owned part of what is now New Jersey with other Quaker investors. This made him want to start another colony. He dreamed of a place where Quakers and other religious groups from Europe could live together peacefully.
Getting the Land for Pennsylvania
When Penn's father died, King Charles II owed his family a lot of money. This debt was for loans and years of unpaid wages to Penn's father. To settle this debt, King Charles agreed to give Penn a huge amount of land. This land was south of Province of New York and north of Province of Maryland.
The land grant was enormous, about 29 million acres. This made William Penn the biggest private landowner in the world at that time.
Naming and Building the Colony
After getting the land, Penn started to organize his new colony. He first called it Sylvania. But King Charles II renamed it Pennsylvania, meaning "Penn's woods," to honor Penn's father.
Penn then worked hard to attract settlers to Pennsylvania and make the colony successful. He was very good at advertising, and Pennsylvania quickly became famous in England and across Europe. Penn wanted to create his "Holy Experiment" in Pennsylvania. He did this by setting up a very open and fair government. This attracted many different people, including many Quakers, who became the core of the Holy Experiment.
Why the Experiment Ended
Eventually, problems grew between the Quaker settlers and the increasing number of non-Quakers in Pennsylvania. This led to the government of the province becoming less focused on Quaker beliefs.
Since the colony began, Pennsylvania had kept peace by making agreements with local Native American groups. Quakers believed in "peace testimony," which meant they were against war and forming armies. So, they didn't have a militia.
However, as some Native American tribes started to side with the French instead of the British, people in Pennsylvania began to worry. They demanded that the colony form an army to protect their towns. This disagreement caused Quaker leaders to resign or be voted out of office. This effectively ended Quaker rule in the colony and brought the Holy Experiment to a close.
See also
In Spanish: Santo Experimento para niños
