The land that William Penn and Thomas Holme laid out for the city of Philadelphia was originally part of the territory of the native North American Lenni Lenape or Delaware tribe. William Penn received title to the land from the British King Charles II in 1681 as a proprietary grant in payment of a debt owed Penn's father. Penn decided to locate his city at a site that would cause minimum disruption to established residents and to treat the Lenni Lenape as generously as possible by paying them to give up their claims to the land.
Penn then began to plan the city that would embody his so-called Holy Experiment, in which men of all races and creeds would govern themselves in complete religious, political, and intellectual freedom. As a result the city became a haven for Quakers and other religious and political dissenters. Philadelphia also became the center for many profitable commercial ventures. Eighteenth century Philadelphia merchants built ships and developed a lively trade in flour, cured meat, and barrel staves with the West Indies.
