King Charles II of England gave Pennsylvania to Quaker William Penn in repayment for a loan that Penn’s father had made to the king. The king probably thought he was accomplishing more than just paying a debt when he made the land grant. It was a way to get rid of some Quakers, whom he considered troublesome. Quakers did flock to Pennsylvania to settle, but so did people from many other religious groups. All faiths were welcome in Penn’s colony. The new city of Philadelphia prospered. Settlers fanned out to the west to build farms and towns. They shipped their products to Philadelphia and England. By the time of the American Revolution, Pennsylvania was considered the heart of the colonies. Philadelphia hosted the First and Second Continental Congresses, where the Declaration of Independence was crafted. And from the Pennsylvania State House, the Liberty Bell rang out the news of declared independence.

Aliki has captured the warmth and gentleness of the Quaker settlers who founded the state of Pennsylvania.

A story about the founding and early growth of Philadelphia, told from the point of view of an average colonist named Stephen.