Penn’s Seed: The Awakening
This article is in collaboration with Redeem TV.
Historical documentaries can be a great way to encourage lifelong learning and add variety to your history studies. Redeem TV’s Penn’s Seed: The Awakening is a documentary that teaches the viewer about the life and legacy of William Penn.
This historical documentary shares the story of William Penn’s life, his values, and how he led Pennsylvania reflected those values. It shares his successes and struggles, but the focus is on how he was a role model for how to treat others. He worked tirelessly for religious freedom and democracy.
Who Was William Penn?
While most Americans could tell you that William Penn was connected to the founding of Pennsylvania, that is often the extent of their knowledge. This historical documentary takes you much deeper into his life and works.
William Penn was born an Englishman and was later granted a great deal of land in the “New World”; that land is now known as Pennsylvania. He was an early Quaker who worked to create a city (Philadelphia) run on the ideas of peace, religious freedom, and brotherly love.
In addition to covering his life, the documentary covers his legacy and how his ideals are still positively affecting the world today. It shares how his ideals and work are on display in Pennsylvania and how they affect leaders there.
The Pennsylvania State Capitol has a variety of quotations and art sharing the influence of William Penn. This movie shares how Healing Tree International does tours of the Capitol to share Penn’s ideals and values of treating others as oneself and following God’s laws.
Penn’s Seed covers how William Penn dealt fairly with the Native Americans in the area, the Lenni Lenape tribe. He treated them as equals and honored his treaties with them. While later leaders unfortunately broke that trust and relationship, the legacy of his values lives on.
Penn’s Influence Around the World
However, it also shares how his ideals are making a difference across the world. There are examples shared from several countries as far away as Kurdistan. To this day, people around the world are using the ideals of William Penn to help promote peace and unity.
How to Use the Historical Documentary Penn’s Seed in Your Homeschool
This video is available on DVD and is 75 minutes in length. Redeem TV also offers it via their streaming service. The content would be appropriate for any age, though probably most interesting for middle grades students through adults. This historical documentary could be used for family viewing or as a way to expand on a student’s history studies. Penn’s Seed can stand alone in its educational value or could be a jumping-off point for learning more about the ideals and values of William Penn.
Be sure to check out this historical documentary and learn more about William Penn from Redeem TV. Consider adding it to your family’s library and sharing Penn’s story as a role model to your children.
HomeschoolingFinds.com Author
Dawn is a passionate follower of Jesus, wife to Chris, and homeschool mom of four (soon to be five). In her spare time she loves to read, hike, and write on her blog Schoolin’ Swag. She enjoys talking about curriculum and helping moms find the right fit for their family.