Jeff Denman

The Quakers found themselves at the center of a controversy that ignited a firestorm of paranoia, anger, and vengeance. How did a peace-loving people find themselves the objects of derision and disdain in a time of social and political upheaval as British hegemony in America was being waged? The religious precepts the Society of Friends in Pennsylvania devoutly followed collided violently with the realities of eighteenth-century life, which often involved constant wars among European powers that ended up as colonial issues as well. As the violence of the Revolution ramped up, Quaker leadership reminded their flock that the Society would be taking a neutral stance in the coming conflict. Neutrality, as it turned out, was deemed an unacceptable position to take by the radical leadership in Pennsylvania. Non-Quakers had difficulty distinguishing between passive neutrality and aiding and abetting British policy. Friends were criticized from both sides and were labeled dissenters from the American cause. As the revolution unfolded, the Quakers suffered immeasurably. Since they rejected military service, they were fined and taxed heavily. Their property was distrained, and they were forced to lodge soldiers in their homes. British and American depredations destroyed Quaker farms and businesses. This is a story of the precipitous rise of the Society of Friends in Pennsylvania, their goal of what seemed a utopian society, and a testament to resilience and adherence to their strict standards.