Early Quaker History

The Religious Society of Friends was founded by George Fox in mid-17th century England during the upheaval of the English Civil War. Mocked as trembling with religious zeal, Fox and followers adopted the term “Quakers” as their own.

Quakers believe that the spirit of God emerges from the still center or Inward Light within the conscience of each person, directly accessible without the need of either an intermediary priest or rituals. Some commonly recognized testimonies include peace, integrity, equality, simplicity, community, and care for the earth. Quakers find that attending to the Light Within influences the ways we act in our personal lives, as well as the changes we work for in the wider world. Friends work to remove the causes of conflict and war. Concern for the environment and right sharing of resources are evidence of Friends’ respect for God’s creation.

Friends support equality, regardless of race, gender, faith, class, financial status and age. Friends join together in worship, in caring for the business of their meetings and churches, and in acting upon their beliefs in the wider world. Quakers did not ascribe to the authority of the Church of England, and in their belief in a radical theory of social equality, refused to take oaths of fealty to the Crown, and threatened the social order of Cromwellian and Restoration England. Persecution of Quakers took many forms, and Quaker leaders spent many years festering in prisons, so many believers in Great Britain and the Netherlands emigrated to the new colony of Pennsylvania.