William Penn, an English entrepreneur, had an unexpected impact on the history of the United States of America. In the late 1600s and early 1700s, Penn was already a supporter of democracy, religious freedom, and anti-slavery movements. Thanks to his good relationships with both the English gentry and the Pennsylvania Indians, Penn was able to protect an entire state for many years to come. William Penn, credited with founding the city of Philadelphia, named after his ideal of "brotherly love", left a lasting impression on the United States of America. He was one of the first to propose the unification of the English American colonies into a single state. Although he is not often remembered today, Penn is often honored as a man ahead of his time. The French philosopher Voltaire credited this several times by saying, "William Penn may, with reason, boast of having brought upon the earth the Golden Age, which in all probability, never had any real existence except in his own dominions." - (Powell, Jim, William Penn, the first great American champion for freedom and peace)William Penn was born in 1644 in England. He was the son of a famous naval commander, Admiral Sir William Penn Sr. When he was very young, Penn contracted smallpox, which caused him to go bald from an early age. His parents were forced by illness to move to the countryside. He recovered favorably and soon discovered a love for horticulture on local farms. The family were neighbors of the famous diarist Samuel Pepys, who allegedly attempted to seduce Penn's mother. Penn was educated at Chigwell School, where he imbibed many Puritan values, although he opposed Puritan ideals in his later life. After a failed campaign in the Caribbean, Penn's father was exiled to their lands in Ireland... middle of paper... Upon returning from a trip to England, however, Penn discovered that a Quaker had embezzled money. After a short discussion and difficulty, the problem was resolved. Philadelphia, meanwhile, had changed dramatically. It was considered one of the greatest cities in the world, with Quaker grammar schools open to all citizens. Although he did not promote abolition, slaves in Pennsylvania were to be treated well. After many advances in culture and religion, Penn died with no money to his name in Ruscombe, England. His wife remained owner of the colony after his death. Bibliography "William Penn". Wikipedia.com. Wikipedia and Web.Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, 2012. Web. October 28, 2013Powell, Jim. "William Penn." Quaker.org. Np, nd Web. 28 October 2013. "William Penn." World Encyclopedia.org. Np, 10 October 2011. Web. 28 October. 2013