The Quakers

Quakers in 17th Century England

• Origins- A nonconformist movement

• What did they believe?- Simplicity- Inner revelation- Pacifism

• Practices

The Peace Testimony

• Also known as the Testimony Against War• What was it?• Where was it derived from?• Significance?

Quakers in Pennsylvania

Penn’s ideal A pacifist state A model for the world A precedent: “All thingshave their beginnings.”

Colonial responsePersecution, imprisonment, & execution

The ‘holy experiment’

Quakers in government

Control of the Assembly

Independence

Successful economy

Western frontiersmen

Tensions

Quakers & Indians

Relations with the native Americans

Friendly relations European & Indians conflicts Preaching Increasing atrocities

The failure of the ‘peaceable kingdom’

Why did it fail?

Voted out of govt Divisions within the ‘peaceable kingdom’ Penn’s absence Failure to convert Indians and most European colonists Self-enclosed community Demands of empire A small nonviolent island in a sea of brutal colonial rule Persecution

JOHN WOOLMAN

• BACKGROUND:- Born 1720

- Literary works - Journal now considered a classic of English literature

- Employment

- Minister - 1743

BELIEFS ‘The gentle conscience of

Quakerism’• Evils of slavery:- Exploitation of labour and oppression of poor- He believed in the equality of humanity- Inconsistent with the Christian religion

• Good in all others• Return to a simple lifestyle - wealth and greed as unnecessary evils

NONVIOLENT ACTION‘conduct is more convincing

than language’1.) Tax Refusal:• 1755 - refusal to pay military tax• 1761 - journey to native colony during time of war

2.) Anti-slavery measures:• Journeys throughout colonies - quiet testimony• Insisted on payment of slaves• Did not push guilt onto slave owners• Argued from Quaker tradition and scripture• The TRUTH was all important

3.) Other Actions:• 1772 - walking tour protest in England• Adopted a plain lifestyle• A model of selfless devotion

IMPORTANCE TO THE HISTORY OF NONVIOLENT

RESISTANCE• 1776 - Quakers adopted a policy of

abolition of slavery• Introduced the idea of DIALOGUE• ‘Passive Obedience’• Symbolic actions‘The most significant figure in the

early history of non-violence in the North American colonies’ (LYND)