Early Events of the French and Indian War• The Penn Family• Benjamin Franklin• The Quaker Assembly

The Penn Family

•William Penn was born October 24th 1644▫Father was Admiral Sir William Penn

•Penn became a member of the Society of Friends or Quakers▫Persecuted group at the time▫Founded by George Fox 1647

Official organization in 1668▫Rejected rituals and oaths, opposed war,

had simple speech and dress

The Penn Family• King Charles II owed Penn money but Penn

asked for land instead▫Between Maryland and New York

• Charter was granted March 4th 1681 and proclaimed April 2nd 1681▫Protection of English laws and subject to the

government of England• First Frame of Government

▫Proposed constitution and summation of ideals▫Revised later and by 1684 foundations of the

Quaker Government were established

The Penn Family

•Thomas Penn was the proprietor of the Colony of Pennsylvania along with his brothers, John and Richard, after Williams Penn’s death

•Thomas was influential in the controversy with the Quaker Assembly▫William Penn’s son’s didn’t follow his

Quaker beliefs

Benjamin Franklin• Born January 17th 1760 in Boston• Father was a soap maker and

had a total of 17 children• Worked as a printer, inventor,

statesman, fireman, and writer.▫ Pennsylvania Gazette, Poor

Roberts Almanac• Elected to the Pennsylvania

Assembly in 1751• Pushed through funds to support

the building and arming of forts• Commanded the Philadelphia

Militia as Colonel Commander in 1756

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin• May 9th 1754 in

Pennsylvania Gazette

• It was perceived to mean that if the colonies didn’t come together then it would lead to the destruction of British Interest, trade and Plantations in America

Benjamin Franklin• "Fish and visitors smell

after three days.""Beware of the young Doctor & the old Barber." "God works wonders now & then; Behold! a Lawyer, an honest Man!" "A learned blockhead is a greater blockhead than an ignorant one."

• All from Poor Richard's Almanac

• www.pbs.org/benfranklin

Struggle With the Indians

•Hostility with Indians in Pennsylvania because:▫Walking Purchase

Provided for the sale of lands along the Delaware below Lehigh

As far as a man could walk in a day and a half▫Albany 1754 acquired whole of PA west of

the Susquehanna Confused the Indians into allowing them to

have more land than they thought

Struggle With the Indians

•After the frauds, the Indians joined the side of the French▫Started attacking colonials, scalping men,

women and children•To alleviate these acts of violence, the

provincial assemblies gave gifts to the Indians▫Assembly took on the financial burden

•Thomas Penn didn’t want to pay so it created controversy with the assembly

Penn's Vs. Quaker Assembly

•Because of Penn’s refusal to pay, a party developed to get rid of the proprietors and have a crown appointed governor instead▫Proprietors and the crown vs. the assembly

•Trying to take away the Assembly’s rights▫Military necessity▫Give money on their own terms

•Governor Morris asked for money and gets 20,000 lbs▫Still tried to take away rights of Assembly

Penn’s Vs. Quaker Assembly

•Colony had rights to use its own methods to furnish assistance▫King and Governor were trying to take

away these rights•Governor wouldn’t allow Assembly to see

instructions from proprietor▫Acting under claim from proprietor that his

land was exempt from taxation

Penn’s Vs. Quaker Assembly

•After Braddock’s defeat, Dunbar who was in charge of the rear abandoned everything

•Indians invaded unmanned area•PA assembly passes Quaker Militia Law

▫Written by Ben Franklin▫Called for volunteer militia

•Defense Forts increased▫17 in the beginning and that rose to 50

Penn’s Vs. Quaker Assembly• Quakers get Delaware and Shawnee Indians

to withdrawal• The Proprietors still made the colonies pay

for war▫Ben Franklin in 1757 goes to Britain to fight

for Assemblies rights Loses because he lacks allies

• PA still gets voted sufficient and gets 100,000 pounds and 5 pounds per recruit ▫Let them participate in the war in a new way-

with aggression and conquest