Charter of Privileges (1701)

E181757

The Charter of Privileges (1701) was Pennsylvania’s final colonial constitution, granted by William Penn, which expanded the powers of the elected assembly and guaranteed broad religious freedom for the colony’s inhabitants.

All labels observed (3)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf colonial constitution
foundational legal document
legal charter
allows Lower Counties on the Delaware
surface form: Lower Counties on the Delaware to have a separate assembly
alsoKnownAs Charter of Privileges (1701)
surface form: Charter of Privileges Granted by William Penn, Esq. to the Inhabitants of Pennsylvania and Territories

Pennsylvania Charter of Privileges
appliesTo free inhabitants of Pennsylvania
inhabitants of the Lower Counties on the Delaware
appliesToJurisdiction Lower Counties on the Delaware
Province of Pennsylvania
author William Penn
country Province of Pennsylvania
dateEnacted 1701-10-28
endTime 1776
establishes unicameral elected assembly for Pennsylvania
expands powers of the elected assembly of Pennsylvania
grantedBy William Penn
grants broad religious liberty to inhabitants of Pennsylvania
civil rights irrespective of specific Christian denomination
freedom of worship to all monotheists who acknowledge God
guarantees right of the assembly to adjourn itself
right of the assembly to impeach provincial officers
right of the assembly to judge qualifications of its own members
right of the assembly to originate legislation
hasEffect institutionalizing religious pluralism in Pennsylvania
strengthening legislative branch in Pennsylvania
historicalPeriod Colonial America
influenced development of representative government in Pennsylvania
later American ideas of religious liberty
influencedBy Quaker principles of religious toleration
language English
legalForm royal-proprietary charter adaptation
legalStatus final colonial constitution of Pennsylvania
limits executive authority of the proprietor
powers of the provincial council
mainSubject colonial governance
legislative powers
religious freedom
partOf constitutional history of Pennsylvania
precededBy Frame of Government of Pennsylvania
surface form: Frame of Government of Pennsylvania (1682)

Frame of Government of Pennsylvania
surface form: Frame of Government of Pennsylvania (1683)
publisher Province of Pennsylvania
surface form: Provincial authorities of Pennsylvania
regulates relationship between proprietor and colonial assembly
replacedBy Pennsylvania Constitution
surface form: Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776
significantPlace Philadelphia
startTime 1701

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (3)

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

Frame of Government of Pennsylvania followedBy Charter of Privileges (1701)
Colony of Pennsylvania notableDocument Charter of Privileges (1701)
this entity surface form: Charter of Privileges
Charter of Privileges (1701) alsoKnownAs Charter of Privileges (1701)
this entity surface form: Charter of Privileges Granted by William Penn, Esq. to the Inhabitants of Pennsylvania and Territories