Long before the First Amendment guaranteed the free exercise of religion, William Penn envisioned Pennsylvania as a “Holy Experiment” founded on liberty of conscience. Pennsylvania became a place where people of different faiths sought to live together under laws that protected religious freedom while cultivating civic life. Yet that experiment was also marked by contradiction, compromise, and exclusion. University of Pennsylvania Professor Marci Hamilton and St. Joseph’s University Professor Emeritus Randall Miller join for a conversation exploring how Pennsylvania’s founding shaped the nation’s understanding of religious liberty, what William Penn’s vision achieved, where it fell short, and what this history can teach us about sustaining constitutional democracy today. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.
This program celebrates the opening of Pennsylvania’s Founding: How a City and a Colony Shaped America’s DNA, a special exhibition opening to the public on September 30 at the National Constitution Center developed in partnership with Drexel University and curated by Drexel’s Lenfest Center for Cultural Partnerships and Atwater Kent Collection. Guests joining us at the Center are invited to join an exclusive reception and preview the new exhibition from 6 – 8:30 p.m.
All guests attending the event in person must register using the form provided. Please submit only one registration and use your first and last name exactly as they appear on the valid government-issued photo identification you will present at event check-in.
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Event timeline:
5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Town Hall | The Holy Experiment: Religious Liberty, Pennsylvania, and the Making of America | Location: Kirby Auditorium
6 p.m. - 8:30 pm
Reception and gallery preview | Location: Main Lobby
7:00 p.m.
Welcome remarks | Location: Main Lobby
