Frame of Government of Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
The Frame of Government of Pennsylvania was a constitution
for the Province of Pennsylvania
, a proprietary colony
granted to William Penn
by Charles II of England
. In 1682 Penn, while still in England, drafted the first version of the Frame of Government to supplement the colony's royal charter. Freedom of worship in the colony was to be absolute, and all the traditional rights of Englishmen were carefully safeguarded. The Frame of Government has lasting historical importance as an important step in the development of American and world democracy
.
and a great deal of freedom
. The Frame incorporated very progressive ideas for its time period. The Frame of Government was only actually in effect for a short period. The legislature did not approve Penn's First Frame, but they finally accepted an amended version in 1693. William Markham
, Penn's cousin and appointed deputy governor, drafted his own versions, which was approved in 1696.
and three votes on the Council. Members of the legislature had three year terms and were chosen in staggered elections each year.
The First Frame protected many rights
and liberties including trial by jury
, freedom of the press
, and religious toleration
. Use of the death penalty was much more limited than it was in other societies at the time.
The First Frame included an amendment process where six-sevenths of the legislature and the governor had to approve any change.http://www.lonang.com/exlibris/organic/1682-fgp.htm The Frame was the first constitution to allow for an amendment process.
The Second Frame weakened the governorship. The three votes stipulation was removed, and the governor was not allowed to take any official action without the Council observing.
The Third Frame, proposed by Markham, gave the Assembly greater powers. It could propose legislation, which now required the consent of both houses.
Penn drew up a Fourth Frame, also known as the Pennsylvania Charter of Privileges (or Charter of Liberties), in 1701. This version lasted until the American Revolution
when it was replaced with a state constitution.
Voltaire
applauded Penn's efforts, saying he might "with reason, boast of having brought down upon earth the Golden Age, which in all probability, never had any real existence but in his dominions."
The fiftieth anniversary of the Fourth Frame was celebrated with the making of the Liberty Bell
.
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
for the Province of Pennsylvania
Province of Pennsylvania
The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as Pennsylvania Colony, was founded in British America by William Penn on March 4, 1681 as dictated in a royal charter granted by King Charles II...
, a proprietary colony
Proprietary colony
A proprietary colony was a colony in which one or more individuals, usually land owners, remaining subject to their parent state's sanctions, retained rights that are today regarded as the privilege of the state, and in all cases eventually became so....
granted to William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
by Charles II of England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
. In 1682 Penn, while still in England, drafted the first version of the Frame of Government to supplement the colony's royal charter. Freedom of worship in the colony was to be absolute, and all the traditional rights of Englishmen were carefully safeguarded. The Frame of Government has lasting historical importance as an important step in the development of American and world democracy
History of democracy
The history of democracy traces back to Athens to its re-emergence and rise from the 17th century to the present day. According to one definition, democracy is a political system in which all the members of the society have an equal share of formal political power...
.
Background
William Penn as an English Quaker sought to construct a new type of society with religious tolerationReligious toleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
and a great deal of freedom
Freedom (political)
Political freedom is a central philosophy in Western history and political thought, and one of the most important features of democratic societies...
. The Frame incorporated very progressive ideas for its time period. The Frame of Government was only actually in effect for a short period. The legislature did not approve Penn's First Frame, but they finally accepted an amended version in 1693. William Markham
William Markham (Governor)
William Markham served as deputy governor of the Province of Pennsylvania. Markham was the acting governor of Pennsylvania from 1681 to 1682 and from 1693 to 1699...
, Penn's cousin and appointed deputy governor, drafted his own versions, which was approved in 1696.
History of the Frames
The First Frame created a government with a 72-member Council to propose legislation, a General Assembly of 500 to approve it, and a governor with a vetoVeto
A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...
and three votes on the Council. Members of the legislature had three year terms and were chosen in staggered elections each year.
The First Frame protected many rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and liberties including trial by jury
Trial by Jury
Trial by Jury is a comic opera in one act, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It was first produced on 25 March 1875, at London's Royalty Theatre, where it initially ran for 131 performances and was considered a hit, receiving critical praise and outrunning its...
, freedom of the press
Freedom of the press
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the freedom of communication and expression through vehicles including various electronic media and published materials...
, and religious toleration
Religious toleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
. Use of the death penalty was much more limited than it was in other societies at the time.
The First Frame included an amendment process where six-sevenths of the legislature and the governor had to approve any change.http://www.lonang.com/exlibris/organic/1682-fgp.htm The Frame was the first constitution to allow for an amendment process.
The Second Frame weakened the governorship. The three votes stipulation was removed, and the governor was not allowed to take any official action without the Council observing.
The Third Frame, proposed by Markham, gave the Assembly greater powers. It could propose legislation, which now required the consent of both houses.
Penn drew up a Fourth Frame, also known as the Pennsylvania Charter of Privileges (or Charter of Liberties), in 1701. This version lasted until the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
when it was replaced with a state constitution.
Legacy and reception
The Frame of Government has been seen as a significant move towards democracy in America. The political philosophy expounded in the preface to the First Frame has often been cited and quoted.Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
applauded Penn's efforts, saying he might "with reason, boast of having brought down upon earth the Golden Age, which in all probability, never had any real existence but in his dominions."
The fiftieth anniversary of the Fourth Frame was celebrated with the making of the Liberty Bell
Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American Independence, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formerly placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House , the bell was commissioned from the London firm of Lester and Pack in 1752, and was cast with the lettering "Proclaim LIBERTY...
.