Talk:1688 Germantown Quaker Petition Against Slavery

Issues
Though a good start, there will need to be some inline citations. It could be ignorance on my part, but I find "The petition was the first public document to protest slavery. It was also the first written public declaration of universal human rights." both rather hard to believe. I know certain Songhai sources consider legal documents from the 17th century to be the first declarations of universal human rights in Africa. Additionally, the entire article is written as a personally essay: the tone will have to be changed. Statements like "The King was happy" will have to include references or be changed. The history of the colony, or William Penn, or Quakerism will have to be either integrated into the relevant articles or simply removed. The text of the petition will need to be moved to http://en.wikibooks.org/. It is a good start on an interesting subject, but it important to understand the difference between what is expected in a university essay and what is expected in Wikipedia articles. Best of luck. T L Miles (talk)
 * Also the wikilink of words like Decades, argument, surveyed, churches, houses all need to be removed. Internal links should be to articles supportive of the subject.  No one is going to read this and think "what's a house?"  They may well need to know who William Penn was, and at the first usage (only) you should links such articles. Please take a quick browse through the Manual of Style and begin a re-write.  Thanks T L Miles (talk) 00:29, 2 February 2009 (UTC)

Lack of understanding of Quakerism
This article doesn't make sense. Take, "Clearly a highly controversial document, Friends forwarded it up the hierarchical chain of their administrative structure—monthly, quarterly, and yearly meetings—without either approving or rejecting it." - Quaker decision making and communication is non hierarchical. The structure represents where consensus was reached on particular documents, and doesn't speak to anything about if it were controversial or much of anything.

" It is not clear whether the four men expected the local Meeting to affirm their view, because they knew that nearby Meetings might not in be in agreement, and consequences would be far-reaching". - that... that isn't how it works. Monthly meetings affirm all sorts of stuff, or not, it doesn't really change much... monthly meetings don't go out and dictate rules to others, or even their own members.

As far as I can tell, what we actually KNOW is:

Four people felt something strongly, and were invited to explain their views and present it to increasingly large audiences. None of the audiences came to consensus about a particular response to it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2600:1700:9588:B050:C9DF:330E:2C47:43A (talk) 21:21, 18 November 2021 (UTC)

Dead link
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--JeffGBot (talk) 19:03, 1 June 2011 (UTC)

Pennsylvania is not named after William Penn.
The current version says: ...which Penn named Pennsylvania, meaning "Penn's woods". As far as I know that is not correct, it was named Pennsylvania by King Charles II, against(!) the will of William Penn. Neither being a historian nor expert Wikipedia contributor myself, all I can offer to proof my claim is the Wikipedia article onPennsylvania which states:

''On February 28, 1681, Charles II granted a land charter[26] to William Penn to repay a debt of £16,000[27] (around £2,100,000 in 2008, adjusting for retail inflation)[28] owed to William's father, Admiral Penn. This was one of the largest land grants to an individual in history.[29] It was called Pennsylvania. William Penn, who wanted it called New Wales or Sylvania, was embarrassed at the change, fearing that people would think he had named it after himself, but King Charles would not rename the grant.[30] Penn established a government with two innovations that were much copied in the New World: the county commission and freedom of religious conviction.[29]''

This Wikipedia Article also lists http://www.britannia.com/celtic/wales/facts/facts1.html as a source.

Many historic books list a letter by William Penn to Robert Turner, written on March 5th, 1681 as a source. http://books.google.at/books?id=RP-IRN8PDnUC&lpg=PA54&dq=william%20penn%20robert%20turner%20with%20privileges%2C%20by%20the%20name%20of%20Pennsylvania%2C%20a%20name%20the%20King%20would%20give%20it%20in%20honor%20of%20my%20father.&pg=PA54#v=onepage&q&f=false

The letter reads: ''DEAR FRIEND: My true love in the Lord salutes thee and dear friends that love Lord’s precious truths in those parts. Thine I have, and for my business here, know, that after many writings, watchings, solicitings, and disputes in Council, this day my country was confirmed to me under the great seal of England, with large powers and privileges, by the name of Pennsylvania: a name the King would give it, in honor to my father. I chose New Wales, being as this a pretty healthy country; but Penn being Welch for a head, as Penmanmore in Wales, Penrith in Cumberland, and Penn in Buckinghamshire, the highest land in England, called this Pennsylvania, which is the high or head wood land; for I proposed, when the Secretary a Welchman, refused to have it called New Wales, Sylvania, and they added Penn to it: and though I much opposed it, and went to the King to have it struck out and altered; he said it was passed, and he would take it upon him—nor could twenty guineas move the under Secretary to vary the name; for I feared, lest it should be looked upon as a vanity in me, and not as a respect to my father, who he often mentioned with praise. Thou mayest communicate my grant to Friends, and expect my proposals: it is a clear and just thing; and my God that has given it me, through many difficulties, will, I believe, bless and make it the seed of a nation. I shall have a tender care to the government, that it be well laid at first. No more now, but dear love in the truth.'' — Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.116.13.62 (talk) 23:46, 1 August 2011 (UTC)