The history of Pennsylvania, one of the last British colonies, is rich in events that altered the course of the future United States. Readers will take a new look at historical figures such as William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania, and Benjamin Franklin, inventor and statesman, through journals and eyewitness accounts that show the influence of these men whose ideas were far ahead of their time. Founded on the ideal of religious tolerance and with great reverence for the Native Americans who inhabited the region, Penn's "holy experiment" inspired the colony's settlers with a vision of freedom that was reflected in the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution.