William Penn and the Indians: The Roots of American Democratic Ideals

FAIN: FA-11048-75

Daniel G. Hoffman
University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA 19104-6205)

To research William Penn's founding of his "Holy Experiment". The emphasis is on the political contributions of Pennsylvania to the definition of such ideals as liberty of conscience, toleration of differing creeds, races, and parties in a pluralistic society, and on tracing the Roots of these secular ideals in the visionary rationalism of the Early Quakers. A byproduct of this research is a book-length poem encompassing the backgrounds and consequences of Penn's treaty with the Indians.