William Penn
Founded the state of Pennsylvania in the late 1600's after being persecuted in England for his Quaker faith.
Quakerism is a traditionally a pacifist religion. William Penn asked George Fox, the founder of Quakerism, whether that meant that he should stop carrying his sword. Fox answered, "carry it as long as you can." He meant that Penn should not become a pacifist just because it is expected of Quakers. Fox told Penn to wait until he became personally convinced for himself that war was wrong, rather than doing it in response to what we would today call "peer pressure."
Penn was respectful of and dealt fairly with the Indians. His successors, unfortunately, did not. Penn is supposed to have signed a treaty with the Indians in 1682 (although historians are not sure whether or not this really happened). The famous painting, "The Peaceable Kingdom," by primitive artist Edward Hicks, incorporates many religious and Quaker symbols. In the foreground we have the lion and the lamb; in the background, Penn negotiating his treaty with the Indians.
