Pennsylvania
Hanover Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Founded 1681 by William Penn as a Quaker Commonwealth. Birthplace of THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE and THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
This marker distills the whole arc of Pennsylvania's founding into a few proud words. William Penn received his charter in 1681 and built a colony on Quaker ideals of religious tolerance and fair dealing, drawing settlers of many faiths to a "holy experiment" in self-government. A century later Philadelphia became the stage where the Declaration of Independence was adopted and the U.S. Constitution was drafted, giving Pennsylvania a double claim as the cradle of the American republic.
Why it matters
Few places can claim to have birthed both the nation's founding declaration and its enduring frame of government, making Pennsylvania central to the story of American liberty and self-rule.
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Related people
- · William Penn
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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