William Penn and Benjamin Franklin: Visions of a Free Society and Foreign Policy

Walter A. McDougall Co-Chair, Butcher History Institute, Foreign Policy Research Institute · Cosponsored by Carthage College With support from the Butcher Family Foundation Once upon a time, Philadelphia made a historic contribution to the world and to the development of freedom. The question "Did it happen in Philadelphia by accident?" gives us an opportunity to explore what precisely happened here in the pre-revolutionary and revolution periods; to ascertain the cultural, political and economic prerequisites to the development of liberal societies; and to weigh the lessons for the historic transitions of our time and for the US "export" of democracy. To assist teachers in grappling with these issues, we have assembled scholars who have made unique contributions in this field. This weekend is also part of GlobalPhilly™ 2013, a month-long project featuring a wide variety of events sponsored by members of the Global Philadelphia Association.