So Brilliant was William Penn's American Legacy that Thomas Jefferson, writer of the Declaration of Independence, called him, ""the greatest lawgiver the world has produced."" And brilliant he was...not only because Penn's Charter of Privileges provided the framework for the United States Government but also because of the underlying freedom it provided all people. In fact, our twenty-eighth president, Woodrow Wilson, was so convinced of William Penn's contributions to America's foundation that he said, ""America did not come out of New England.""