Frame of Government of Pennsylvania

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The Frame of Government of Pennsylvania was the 1682 colonial constitution drafted by William Penn that established a representative assembly, guaranteed religious freedom, and became an influential model for later American constitutional principles.

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Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Pennsylvania colonial charter
colonial constitution
foundational legal document
aimedAt encouraging settlement in Pennsylvania
protecting civil liberties
appliesTo free inhabitants of Pennsylvania
appliesToTerritory Pennsylvania
author William Penn
country Province of Pennsylvania
dateCreated 1682
draftedBy William Penn
followedBy Charter of Privileges (1701)
grantedBy William Penn as proprietary governor
guaranteed due process protections
freedom of worship for monotheists
liberty of conscience
trial by jury
hasPart articles of government
preamble
provisions on elections
provisions on judicial procedures
provisions on legislation
historicalPeriod colonial America
inception 1682
influenced American colonial constitutional practice
American principles of religious liberty
ideas in the United States Constitution
later Pennsylvania constitutions
influencedBy English constitutional traditions
Quaker political thought
charter of liberties traditions
language English
legalForm charter granted by the proprietor
legalStatus colonial charter
mainSubject constitutionalism
religious freedom
representative government
separation of powers
placeOfOrigin England
promulgatedIn Province of Pennsylvania
providedFor amendment procedures
elected general assembly
elected provincial council
limited executive power for the proprietor
periodic elections
representative assembly
secret ballot in elections
regulates relations between proprietor and assembly
structure of colonial government in Pennsylvania

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Colony of Pennsylvania notableDocument Frame of Government of Pennsylvania
William Penn notableWork Frame of Government of Pennsylvania