William Penn

Rupert Sargent HollandProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 209K words
Chapters: 21

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971, and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. William Penn by Rupert Sargent Holland. Author: Holland, Rupert Sargent, 1878–1952. Language: English. Class: F106: United States local history: Atlantic coast. Middle Atlantic States. Release Date: Apr 20, 2013

Editor's review

William Penn is a biography by Rupert Sargent Holland focusing on the life and work of William Penn, founder of the Pennsylvania colony. As a public-domain eBook from Project Gutenberg, it is plainly written and clearly organized, making it a suitable introduction to early North American colonial history and the idea of religious toleration. The book covers Penn's religious stance, colonial governance, and founding of the city, helping readers understand sectarian conflict and experiments in self-government in seventeenth-century British North America. It is best read as popular history rather than a modern scholarly biography; its portrayal of motives and period tensions reflects the narrative habits of the author's time. Suitable for history enthusiasts, English learners, and readers who need background on colonial history, to be read chapter by chapter.

Who it's for

A good fit for

History enthusiasts interested in North American colonial history and religious toleration
Students and teachers who need background on Pennsylvania colonial history
Intermediate English learners who want to practice reading through biography
Readers who enjoy public-domain historical biographies and plain narrative

Not a good fit for

Historians expecting modern scholarly research and extensive notes
General readers who only want novel-like, strongly plotted narrative
People with little interest in religion and colonial politics

Reading tips

Read the table of contents and preface first to grasp the stages of Penn's life, then proceed chapter by chapter.
Mark Pennsylvania-related places on a map as you read to strengthen spatial understanding.
Take brief notes on sect names to help understand the background of conflicts.
After finishing, summarize Penn's core ideas and historical influence in one paragraph.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this an academic biography or a popular book?

The material indicates it is a historical biography for general readers, plainly written and clearly organized, not a modern scholarly work centered on extensive notes and research. It is suitable for introductory reading but should not be cited directly as a research source.

What historical background should I know before reading this book?

It helps to have a basic idea of seventeenth-century British North America and the sectarian divisions after the Reformation. Even without background knowledge, you can follow the main biographical narrative; just take brief notes when you encounter unfamiliar sect names.

Is this book suitable as English extensive reading material?

It suits readers with intermediate English. The biographical language is relatively plain, but it involves historical figures, place names, and religious terms. Read with a dictionary and control your pace by chapter to avoid stopping because of insufficient background knowledge.

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About the author

Rupert Sargent Holland Author · American · 1878–1952

Rupert Sargent Holland (1878–1952) was an American author born in Louisville, Kentucky, known for historical reading aimed at young readers. Many of his books were published by Macmillan. Eight of his works are included here, among them Historic Boyhoods, Historic Girlhoods, Part One, William Penn, Historic Inventions, Historic Events of Colonial Days, Historic Adventures: Tales from American History, Lafayette, We Come!, and Peter Cotterell's Treasure. He often approached history through concrete subjects such as childhood, everyday inventions, and colonial events, turning facts into clearly narrated and vivid stories that combine information with readability, which helped his work reach a wide readership among young people. Public information about his life and writing career is limited, and existing accounts rest mainly on these works.