William Penn (24 October 1644 - 10 August 1718) was an English writer, religious thinker, and influential Quaker, founder and "Absolute Proprietor" of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
He was an advocate and an early champion of democracy and religious freedom known for his amicable relations and successful treaties with the Lenape Native Americans who had resided in present-day Pennsylvania prior to European settlements in the state.
True Spiritual Liberty, the Penn's pamphlet that today we propose to modern readers, was written in 1681.