William Penn was a Quaker who founded Pennsylvania for what purpose?

• A. To create a place for Quakers to live in peace and be free from persecution
• B. To extract silver from mines
• C. To establish a religious monarchy
• D. To create large slave plantations

Answer: (A)

This question looks at why William Penn founded Pennsylvania. He wanted a place where Quakers could worship freely and live without fear of persecution. Penn, a Quaker himself, aimed for a colony based on religious toleration, fair treatment of Native Americans, and civil liberties—a practical expression of his belief in liberty of conscience. This is why Pennsylvania was often described as a “holy experiment” in governance and community living.

The other ideas don’t fit his intent: gaining silver mining wealth wasn’t the goal, establishing a religious monarchy would clash with Quaker beliefs in equality and anti-authoritarianism, and creating large slave plantations contradicts the values he sought to promote in his colony.