Proprietary Party facts for kids

The Proprietary Party was a political group in the early days of the Pennsylvania Colony. Think of them like a team in a debate, but for governing the colony! They were also sometimes called the Gentleman's Party.

This party mainly focused on supporting the Penn family. The Penns were the "proprietors," meaning they owned and governed Pennsylvania. The Proprietary Party also cared a lot about the Anglican Church, which was a major Christian church at the time.

They were often against another political group called the Quaker Party. Sometimes, their disagreements even led to fights! The party changed its name a few times. It started as the Proprietary Party, then became the Gentleman's Party in the 1740s, and went back to the Proprietary Party in the 1750s.

In 1764, a group called the Paxton Boys marched towards Philadelphia. The Proprietary Party used this event to gain public support. They also opposed the Stamp Act of 1765, a tax from Britain. They even worked with Benjamin Franklin to fight against it, but later opposed him becoming the colony's representative in London.

What the Party Believed In

The Proprietary Party's main goal was to support the Penn family's rights. This included their political power and their ownership of land.

They also wanted to make sure the colony had a strong military defense. This even meant 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 ability to print its own paper money.

To gain more power, they tried to get support from people living on the Frontier. This helped them try to weaken the Quaker Party in the General Assembly of Pennsylvania, which was like the colony's parliament.

Important People in the Party

Several important people were part of the Proprietary Party:

• James Logan was the first leader. He was the Secretary of the Proprietary Council and helped gather supporters.
• In the 1740s, William Allen became a key leader, working with Richard Peters.
• Nicholas Scull II held an important job as the Surveyor General of Pennsylvania. He was a "placeman," meaning he got his job because of his loyalty to the party.
• George Thomas was a governor who supported the Penns, even though the assembly was mostly made up of Quakers.

Andrew Hamilton and Isaac Norris

Andrew Hamilton, a member of the party, left the assembly in 1739. He had a rivalry with Isaac Norris. Hamilton's departure made William Allen even more determined to gain power in the assembly.

The Election Day Riot

On October 1, 1742, which was Election Day in Pennsylvania, a big fight broke out. It happened between supporters of the Quakers and the Proprietary Party. This was during an election for the Inspector of Elections.

The only place to vote was the Philadelphia County Courthouse. Quaker supporters arrived early and blocked the Proprietary Party voters. Many more votes were cast for Isaac Norris, the Quaker candidate.

But before the voting finished, about 60 sailors arrived. People thought William Allen had hired them. These sailors, armed with clubs, started attacking people, especially Pennsylvania Germans. The Germans fought back, and a big battle happened. In the end, the Proprietary sailors lost and had to retreat.