Critical Thinking Journal #5

            William Penn once said, "Justice is the insurance which we have on our lives and property. Obedience is the premium which we pay for it." Penn is famously known for founding the colony of Pennsylvania which allowed anyone of any religion to be welcomed in. He fought for the idea that no religious group should be judged by another (William). What this particular quote means is that the only reason why we have justice is because we developed a system of obedience in this country. Without obedience there would be no justice.

            As the Quaker community in Pennsylvania began to grow, multiple land disputes arose. Penn was chosen to settle these disputes between the community Quakers (William). Realizing that he couldn’t handle all of these land disputes himself, Penn used his legal knowledge and leadership skills to organize the founding of the Quaker colony in America. (William). This conflict is what reflects Penn’s quote. Knowing that there needed to be ground rules for the new colony, Penn spent multiple years developing and recreating a Constitution for the Quaker colony that not only would protect the colony, but also the Quakers themselves. William Penn wanted the new colony’s government to not only be positive, but peaceful. The only way to do that was to make sure that everyone was protected and equal.

            The civil rights movement was a historical event for African Americans. Following William Penn’s quote, African Americans did what they could to receive their equal rights just like the white individuals. African Americans accomplished this goal by not breaking the rules, but standing up for themselves. They refused to travel on busses that only allowed them to sit in the back and sat wherever they wanted in restaurants, even if they couldn’t sit in that particular section. Seeing their frustration, the government created the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in order to protect the African Americans from being prosecuted or separated anywhere they wished to travel. Mirroring Penn’s quote, African Americans received their justice by not breaking rules and standing up for themselves.

 

 

 

 

                                                         Works Cited

"William Penn Biography." The Biography.com Website. Ed. Biography.com. A&E Television Networks, Web. 19 July 2016.