Kutztown University - Keystonia Yearbook (Kutztown, PA)

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Most of the Welsh immigrants were Quakers, but among the Welsh the Baptist Church in the province also took origin. It was the Mennonites who first settled Germantown and built the first Mennonite Meeting House there. We can find a monastery of stone along the Wissa- hickon, which was built in 1734 by the Society of Pietists. We still see the long bearded Amish whose beliefs prescribe the banning of all those who have transgressed through worldliness. The main sources from which arose the Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania were the German Calvinists who arrived in New York in 1710, and thence followed the Sus- quehanna into Pennsylvania. The Scotch-Irish settled the interior and mountain regions of the state, and New Englanders moved into central Pennsylvania from the north. The Dunk- ers came to Germantown with Alexander Mack in 1719. To these people we owe the very early printing presses of Germantown and Ephrata, the literary output of which enriched the first century of American life. The Schwenkfelders were the forerunners of the Quakers and came to Pennsylvania in 1734 bringing with them sixteenth century volumes of old world literature, which were of great importance. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg spent his life in or- ganizing the Lutheran Church in Pennsylvania and the Trappe Church, at Collegeville, is a standing witness to his efforts. The Reformed Church may claim as its founder John Boehm who established this religion very firmly in eastern Pennsylvania. Count Ludwig Von Zin- zendorf founded Nazareth and Bethlehem on 'he basis of his religion, and his followers were known as Moravians. The Moravians had great influence over the Indians, and may be said to be the only one of the Protestant sects which succeeded in converting the primitive and savage people. They were also great leaders in the field of education. The Methodists were established in Pennsylvania by Captain Thomas Webb. He had no idea he was starting an entirely new sect, but his doctrines were so well accepted that the Methodists are one of the most numerous and influential churches in the United States to- day. Some of the Catholics in Maryland, to avoid maltreatment, moved to Pennsylvania, especially around the Philadelphia area. They were treated rather harshly by the other re- ligious sects, but have come to be one of the influential religious groups in Pennsylvania. —Hildroth Collection and Index of Historic Prin ts.

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In 1675, Penn's thoughts were first seriously turned to America. Edward Byllinge, a Quaker merchant from London, had become the owner of a piece of land, now New Jersey, which he later sold to Wili am Penn. Penn wrote to Richard Hartsborne, a settler whom he appointed his agent, We lay a foundation for after ages to understand their liberty as men and Chris- tians, that they may not be brought in bondage by their own consent; for we put the power in the people. Thus was stated Penn's idea for a new province here in America. It was in 1680 that Penn made application to Charles II for a grant of land in America. He was given this grant of land and the king named it Pennsylvania. Thus our state began. Penn was a dreamer and with land to form a colony in the new world, new ideals and new visions were essential. Coming from tyrannical Europe his greatest dream was freedom— freedom to v orship God as the individual saw fit, freedom to form a democratic form of government, freedom to choose one's occupation, freedom from racial prejudice and free- dom to speak one's thoughts. But dreaming was not enough for this man of deeds for he wanted to share the fulfillment of them with others. It was now partially within his power to realize these dreams with the people who were to colonize the new land. Let us see how Penn's promises have been carried out, how these dreams have become realities for Pennsyl- vanians and have come to permeate the American way of life. In a very few years, the people of other countries began to take advantage of Penn's prom- ise of religious freedom. Mittelberger, writing in 1754 named fifteen different sects then in Pennsylvania whose presence was due to the breadth and liberality of the English Penn. There were fifteen then; to attempt to number them now would bring countless more to light. Of course. Penn's faith, Quakerism, was one of the foremost religions in early Pennsylvania. The early colony was composed almost entirely of Quakers, and today we still find them prominent in the Philadelphia section. The Quakers held sway over the colony until the Revo- lution and their main settlements at that time were in Montgomery, Chester, Delaware and Bucks counties.

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Perhaps the greatest of Penn's promises, at least as it affects today, was that of democracy. For more than a year after receiving the Charter, William Penn gave much time and atten- tion to the formulation and drafting of a Constitution or Frame of Government for Pennsyl- vania. This was not an easy task, because the nature of the Charter gave Penn the posi- tion of feudal lord over a large estate, yet his philosophy of life required that he “put the power in the people.” To reconcile these two opposites was his problem. He conceived the First Frame of Government which provided for a governor and an assembly to be elected by the people. It was a big step in the right direction. Governments,” Penn said, rather depend upon men than men upon governments.” When the first Assembly met, they adopted a code of laws, which pledged along with many other things, religious freedom for all. One of the earliest branches of government of prov- incial Pennsylvania was the Assembly, which was the first instrument of the people's will in the law-making of the state. Public education was provided for, Indian treaties were drawn up and things that most other colonies were slow in obtaining were taken care of by the people of Pennsylvania, through the Assembly. It was the Second Frame of Government that directed the governor and the council to erect and order all public schools and reward the authors of useful sciences and laudable inven- tions,” Thus came the first documentary mention of formal education. It was Penn's hope to educate all his people, with no distinction as to race, creed or station. A lav was passed shortly after the one stated above which read, All persons in the province having children shall cause such to be instructed in reading and writing, so that they may be able to read the Scriptures and to write by the time they attain to tv elve years of age.” The church was most interested in having the children read; therefore the earliest schools to attain this end were the church schools. These were under the control of the local congregations, and the iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinimti! •iiiiiiiiiiiiniimiiaiiiiiiiiiiimiiniiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiii