William Penn Quaker Oats Man

The Society of Friends

The Quakers
Called Quakers because George Fox, their founder, had
warned his persecutors they would someday
“quake before the power of the Lord”
Believed in concept of “Inner Light” – God is reflected from out of
each person in different ways
All forms of religious worship are reflection of the inner light of
God and are worthy of respect
Quakers offended religious & secular leaders in England.
 Refused to pay taxes to support the Church
of England.
 Pacifists
 They Believed all were children of God refused
to treat the upper classes with deference.
 Kept hats on.
 Addressed them as commoners  ”thees”/“thous.”
 Wouldn’t take oaths.
 met without paid clergy
 Quaker Meeting
(religious worship)
 Sculpture in Philadelphia of
Mary Dyer, a Quaker who was
hanged in Boston by the Puritans in
1660
 William Penn
Aristocratic Englishman.
1660 – attracted to the Quaker
faith.
Embraced Quakerism after
military service.
1681  he received a grant from
king to establish a colony.
 This settled a debt the king owed
his father.
 Named Pennsylvania [“Penn’s Woods”].
He sent out paid agents and advertised for settlers 
his pamphlets were pretty honest.
 Liberal land policy attracted many immigrants.
Royal Land Grant to Penn
Migration of common people – working class
Families and single men and women

Pennsylvania: “The best poor man’s country.”

• All people are equal - the “Inner Light” of
God shines in everyone
• All religious worship is respected –
freedom of religion
• Pacifists – non violent
• Distrust of “high and mighty”
• Rude to “hold yourself above
others”
Penn & Native Americans

Bought [didn’t simply take]

land from Indians.
Quakers went among
the Indians unarmed.
BUT…….. non-Quaker
Europeans flooded PA
 Treated native
peoples poorly.
 This undermined the
actions of the
Quakers!
Penn’s Treaty with the
Native Americans
 Government of Pennsylvania
Representative assembly elected by landowners.
No tax-supported church.
Freedom of worship guaranteed to all.
Forced to deny right to vote & hold office
to Catholics & Jews by English govt.
Death penalty only for treason & murder.
 Compared to 200 capital crimes in England!

Philadelphia- the “City of Brotherly Love”

 Pennsylvanian Society
Attracted many different people
 Religious refugees from other colonies.
 Many different ethnic groups.
No provision for military defense.
No restrictions on immigration.
No slavery!!
“Blue Laws” [sumptuary laws]  against stage plays,
cards, dice, excessive hilarity, etc.

A society that gave its citizens economic

opportunity, civil liberty, & religious freedom!!
Quaker Meeting Houses
Quaker Meeting House
William Penn’s house
Wealthy Quaker’s home
“Severely
Simple”
“Severely
Simple”
• Exercise,
not competition
Quaker winter recreation
 Quakers sounded
like us

Midland accent

Standard American accent

 Boiled
foods

“Enough is as good as a feast”

• Education for practical
purposes – to help you
make a living

• Everyone needs some

education – the “3 Rs”
but…

• Too much education can be a bad thing – may

cause people to think they are better than others
• Tolerance for all religious beliefs
• Equality of all - everyone is God’s creation

• Non-violence

• Quakers have been at the forefront of

peace and social justice
movements throughout
America’s history