William Penn was a great individual who contributed immensely to this nation. “William Penn and the Quaker Legacy” by John Moretta talks about Penn’s courageous efforts and his perspective on things. Penn was a spiritual human being who believed in God and wanted to live in a peaceful society. He was a courageous individual who wanted everyone to be equal and democratic. The religious tolerance alleged by Penn changed the opinions of many people who lived during this era. The importance of Penn's origins, Quakerism, and the development of his society due to his view of religious tolerance will be discussed in this article. William Penn was born in England and belonged to a wealthy family "possessing wealth and status, which gave him almost immediate access to the halls of power in Restoration England" (Moretta xii). I personally believe that the importance of status and wealth must have played a gigantic role in Penn's life and career. He lived a simple life and wanted the good of others, but knowing your family's status would have generated something in his mind. He was a social individual and was well-liked by his peers until he was caught attending a Quakers meeting and arrested. His father left him homeless at the age of twenty-two and he began residing with the Quakers. He had to struggle in his early twenties, but as they say; “Without struggle, there is no inspiration.” He knew the consequences of attending the meetings, but that interest kept him going. I believe this is when Penn realized the important things in his life and began to prioritize the things that meant something to him. George Fox “founded the Quaker religion in 1647...rejected the use of formal sacraments and ministry, refused to take oaths. ...... middle of paper ...... the vision was a heartbreaking failure. William Penn was a great human being who went through enormous obstacles in life, went against his family's views but had a strong vision and drive to achieve pacifism in a colony. The establishment of Philadelphia was a great achievement for the years he spent there and the belief in religious tolerance attracted many individuals to practice freely. I am overwhelmed by the actions he took at a young age and his strong will to achieve his goal. Even though his colony changed negatively after his departure, his vision was to care for people and eliminate differences based on skin, color, gender or religious beliefs. To conclude, William Penn was a great human being who envisioned something different and did his best to create a peaceful colony to live in and allow religious tolerance..