This presentation uncovers how Pennsylvania’s early legal system evolved from William Penn’s remarkably humane “Great Law” to the harsher criminal codes of the 18th century—and how these shifting philosophies shaped justice along the western frontier. As settlers pushed into what would become Indiana County, political battles over judges, courts, and access to justice transformed the Commonwealth’s legal landscape. This program explores the dramatic story of how law was created, contested, and adapted to meet the needs of a growing and often unruly region, ultimately laying the foundation for Indiana County’s place within Pennsylvania’s judicial system.