Friends in the American Colonies and The Second Period of Quakerism

As early as 1655 the New World had attracted Friends, and efforts were made during the following years to plant the seeds of Quakerism in Massachusetts, New York and Virginia. In the last two colonies there was some persecution, but the martyrs of Quakerism in America met their test in Massachusetts. Everything that the authorities could devise was tried to stop the publishing of the Quaker truth in this colony. Harrowing tortures were endured, many underwent punishment again and again, and four suffered death. After ten years of persecution, they succeeded in breaking down the intolerant laws.

During this period a haven was found in Rhode Island, where the first meeting in the New World had been established. This colony became the center of New England Quakerism. Its long line of Quaker Governors and men in public places did eminent service in the political life of the colony until the time of the Revolutionary War.

A period of expansion followed George Fox's visit to America in 1671-1673. Meetings were established in New York, Maryland, Virginia and the Carolinas, and in greater numbers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. These last two colonies had been opened for settlement rather later than the others, but conditions were especially favorable. West Jersey was bought by a group of Friends in 1674 and in 1681 Pennsylvania was granted to William Penn, so that here the Quakers had freedom and peace and unparalleled opportunity to try out their ability to conduct a Christian government.

William Penn was a statesman of high order and he stands to this day an outstanding advocate of justice for native Americans and a champion of liberty of conscience. He designed a government based on his advanced ideas of civil and religious liberty and equality which was a forerunner of the Constitution of the United States. Friends maintained an almost absolute control of Pennsylvania until 1740 and were a power for fifteen years longer, when war-like measures forced them to resign from the Assembly.

The successful policy of Friends toward the Indians was the outcome of their sense of justice and of their conviction that before God all persons are equal, irrespective of their color, and these principles slowly formed their attitude on another great question--that of Negro slavery. George Fox had advised in 1671 giving slaves their freedom before God all persons are equal, irrespective of their color, and these principles slowly formed their attitude on another great question--that of Negro slavery. George Fox had advised in 1671 giving slaves their freedom after a period of years. Philadelphia Yearly Meeting advised against the slave trade in 1696, and sentiment grew slowly until 1758 when John Woolman made a moving plea for the

Friends' opposition to war largely took them out of public life during the French and Indian wars prior to the Revolution, and this fact together with an increasing quietism caused a profound transformation in the Society. More and more Friends of the latter half of the 18th century withdrew from the outside world and centered upon perfecting their own spiritual lives, hedging their Society about with rules and customs of a peculiar people. This preserved some valuable features, but it also brought a narrowing introspection that was fertile ground for controversy.

The Second Period of Quakerism

Early in the 19th century two very divergent tendencies could be seen within Quakerism. One was toward a zealous evangelism which was fostered by a number of prominent ministers, some of whom came over from England, and which was accelerated by the popular rise of the Methodist movement.

The other was toward a reaffirmation of the Inward Light as a sufficient basis for faith. Job Scott, a saintly man and true mystic, and Elias Hicks, a prophetic minister of liberal Quakerism, were the chief spokesmen for the latter.

The chasm grew steadily wider until 1827 when a separation occurred in Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. This tragedy, due to lack of historical knowledge, lack of spiritual understanding and lack of love for one another, was followed by withdrawals by one side or the other in many other Meetings, forming so-called "Hicksite" and so called "Orthodox" branches. Further separations occurred within the Orthodox body.

Yet the 19th century did contain some advances in Quaker development. A great migration of Friends to the new territory of the northwest took place, and new Yearly Meetings in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois were established.

The retirement of Friends from public affairs helped to stimulate their zeal for purely moral causes, such as the abolition of slavery, the welfare of the Negroes and the Indians, the work for social morality, the suppression of liquor traffic, and prison reform.

The women's rights movement grew out of the involvement of Quaker women in the anti-slavery movement. Several women, by lecturing extensively against slavery, did much to break down the barrier against women speaking in public. Lucretia Mott, Quaker minister and abolitionist, along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, called the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 which marked the formal beginning of the organized crusade for the rights of women.

Education has been a deep concern of Friends from their earliest history, and Monthly Meeting schools, boarding schools and colleges have been established.