ReligionUnlike the other colonies, Pennsylvania had religious freedom. William Penn believed that people should have the right to choose how they worship God. But even though Penn tolerated different religions, he still had limits for some religious groups. Penn refused to give Jews, Catholics, and Indians the right to vote or to hold a political office.
ImmigrationReligious freedom brought many people from different backgrounds and different religions to Pennsylvania. English immigrants were mainly Quakers. The largest group of non-English speaking immigrants were Germans, who made up about a third of the population. Another important group that migrated to Pennsylvania were the Scotch-Irish. Smaller groups of immigrants included the Swedes, Dutch, Jews, and many others.
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