Frame of Government of Pennsylvania
The Frame of Government of Pennsylvania was a proto-constitution for the Province of Pennsylvania, a proprietary colony granted to William Penn by Charles II of England. The Frame of Government has lasting historical importance as an important step in the development of American and world democracy.
Characteristics[edit]
The establishment of Pennsylvania may be the most successful effort of Quakers in colonizing in America. Penn's close relationship with the Crown significantly contributed to the success. His ruling over Pennsylvania was largely based on the royal charter, which curbed his political experiment and led to a hierarchical governmental structure. The compromise diluted the liberalism in the constitution of government, which Penn and his contemporary political thinkers had been promoting. However, the human rights provisions in the Frame of Government successfully reflected certain important values inherent in human thinking prevailing in the colony and Quakerism and contributed to the development of constitutionalism in America.
Legacy and reception[edit]
The Frame of Government has been seen as a significant move towards democracy in America. The political philosophy expounded in the preface to the Frame of 1682 has often been cited and quoted.
Voltaire applauded Penn's efforts, saying he might "with reason, boast of having brought down upon earth the Golden Age, which in all probability, never had any real existence but in his dominions."[6]
The Supreme Court of the United States quoted the 1682 Frame of Government in a February 2019 decision regarding excessive fines imposed by the state of Indiana.[7][8]