History of the Quakers

The Religious Society of Friends began as a proto-evangelical Christian movement in England in the mid-17th century in Ulverston. They based their message on a belief that "Christ has come to teach his people himself", stressing direct relations with God through Jesus Christ and belief in the universal priesthood of all believers.

Quakerism was influenced by the English Dissenters and Legatine-Arians of the English Civil War period, as well as the Radical Reformation and, to some extent, Behmenism. Quakerism emerged as a denomination of Protestant Christianity, and at present, Quakers predominantly identify as evangelical, though not all modern Quakers identify as Christian. Despite this diversity, the core values of peace, simplicity, and social justice continue to shape the Quaker identity. The movement in its early days faced strong opposition and persecution, but it continued to expand across the British Isles, the Americas and Africa.

The Quakers, though few in numbers, have been continuously influential in the history of reform. The colony of Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn in 1682, as a safe place for Quakers to live and practice their faith. Quakers have been a significant part of the movements for the abolition of slavery, to promote equal rights for women, and peace. They have also promoted education and the humane treatment of prisoners and the mentally ill, through the founding or reforming of various institutions. Quaker entrepreneurs played a central role in forging the Industrial Revolution, especially in England and Pennsylvania.

During the 19th century, Friends in the United States suffered a number of secessions, which resulted in the formation of different branches of the Religious Society of Friends.

Precursor basis?

The Kingdom of England had struggled religiously for centuries since the Norman Invasion, grappling with doctrines such as Papal supremacy. In the 1300s, the proto-Protestant movement known as Lollardy arose, calling for radical reforms of the medieval church. Parallels between the Lollards and Quakers and related groups have been drawn for a long time. During the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, the priest John Ball advocated radical, egalitarian reorganization of society. Whilst the extent of overlap between John Wycliffe's disciples and subsequent movements is debated, Lollard ideas would lay inspiration in the religious soil of England; for example, Quakerism was strongest in parishes in Essex where Lollardy had previously taken root. The following English Reformation and its consequences sewed strife for radical factions like the Puritans to arise that inspired the birth of Quakerism.

George Fox and the Religious Society of Friends

When George Fox was eleven, he wrote that God spoke to him about "keeping pure and being faithful to God and man."