Enslavement to
freedom

 
  Young African American man sitting at a desk in circa 1910 clothing composes a letter by oil lamp light.

 

 

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2004 Mail

Reply to Ann Hagen Regarding Quakers and Slavery

From Celinda Scott, July 22, 2004  (reply to Ann Hagen's letter of December 20, 2003)

Dear Ann,
As you probably have found out by now, Quakers' renunciation of slavery took place over a long period of time. George Fox preached against it in the 1670s, but English Quakers didn't follow their founders' advice as a whole group until almost a century later. American Quakers had officially all made it impossible to be both a Quaker and own slaves by 1776; people like John Woolman went from meeting to meeting preaching against it. It may have taken too long for Quakers to give up slavery as a whole denomination (emancipating their slaves started with individuals) but I think they were the first denomination to do so. Please let me know if you have found otherwise.

Sincerely, Celinda Scott (recently retired history and French teacher in western PA)

Editor's Note: A detailed account of the struggle for the abolition of slavery in Pennsylvania may be found here.

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