Proprietary Party facts for kids

The Proprietary Party was an important political group in the early Pennsylvania Colony. They were also sometimes called the Gentleman's Party. This party mainly supported the Penn family. The Penns were the original owners, or proprietors, of the colony. The party also cared a lot about Anglicanism, which is a type of Christian faith.

The Proprietary Party often disagreed with another group called the Quaker Party. These disagreements sometimes led to fights. The party changed its name a few times. It started as the Proprietary Party, became the Gentlemen's Party in the 1740s, and then went back to the Proprietary Party in the 1750s.

In 1764, a group called the Paxton Boys marched towards Philadelphia. A group from Philadelphia stopped them. They promised the government would listen to the Paxton Boys' complaints. However, this promise was not kept. The Proprietary Party used this event to gain public support.

The party was against the Stamp Act of 1765. This was a law that made colonists pay special taxes on paper goods. They worked with Benjamin Franklin to oppose this law. Even though they worked with Franklin, they later opposed him. They did not want him to become the Colonial Agent in London. A Colonial Agent was like a representative for the colony in England.

What the Proprietary Party Believed In

The Proprietary Party's main goal was to support the Penn family. They wanted to protect the Penns' political power and their ownership rights in Pennsylvania. They also believed the colony needed a strong military defense. This included drafting, or requiring, indentured servants to join the military. Indentured servants were people who worked for a period of time to pay off a debt.

The party also wanted the colony to be able to print its own paper money. They tried to make the Quaker Party less powerful in the General Assembly of Pennsylvania. The General Assembly was the colony's main government body. They tried to get support from people living on the Frontier. The Frontier was the edge of the settled areas.

Important People in the Party

The first leader of the Proprietary Party was James Logan. He was the Secretary of the Proprietary Council. He helped gather support for the party. In the 1740s, William Allen became a key leader. He led the party along with Richard Peters.

Another important person was Nicholas Scull II. He was a Placeman for the party. A Placeman was someone given a job because of their political connections. Nicholas Scull II held the position of Surveyor General of Pennsylvania. This job involved mapping and measuring land. George Thomas, who was a Proprietary governor, also led a Quaker assembly.

Andrew Hamilton and Isaac Norris

Andrew Hamilton was a member of the Proprietary Party. He left the assembly in 1739. Andrew Hamilton and Isaac Norris did not get along. Hamilton's leaving made William Allen even more determined. Allen wanted to gain more power in the assembly.

The Election Day Fight of 1742

On October 1, 1742, a big fight happened on Election Day in Pennsylvania. This fight was between supporters of the Quaker Party and the Proprietary Party. The election was for the Inspector of Elections. Isaac Norris represented the Quakers, and William Allen represented the Proprietary Party.

The only place to vote was the Philadelphia County Courthouse. Quaker voters arrived early and blocked the Proprietary voters from getting in. Many people voted for Norris by standing near him. But before the election finished, about 60 sailors arrived. People thought William Allen had hired them. These sailors had clubs and started attacking Pennsylvania Germans who supported the Quakers. The Germans fought back. A big fight broke out between the two groups. In the end, the Proprietary sailors lost and had to leave.