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The Crime of Being Quaker

The Crime of Being Quaker

In Massachusetts, being a Quaker was not just frowned upon—it was illegal. Puritans despised Quakers for reasons of theology (they heretically believed they could have a direct relationship with God), power (they refused to pay taxes to support Congregational Church), and man- ners (the zealous Quakers sometimes interrupted church services and banged pots and pans in the streets). The punishment for being a Quaker was whipping on the first offense, having an ear cut off after the second, and execution…

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Notes on the State of Virginia by Thomas Jefferson

Notes on the State of Virginia by Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson February 27, 1787 Jefferson wrote this book in 1781 and 1782. His section on religion catalogued the penalties against “heresy,” and also included one of the lines that would get him into trouble during the 1800 election. Here is his chapter on religion. Religion The first settlers in this country were emigrants from England, of the English church, just at a point of time when it was flushed with complete victory over the religious of all other persuasions….

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Bill of Rights Amendments Offered in Congress by James Madison, June 8, 1789

Bill of Rights Amendments Offered in Congress by James Madison, June 8, 1789

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James Madison June 8, 1789 James Madison initially argued that a Bill of Rights was unnecessary. But in his first race for Congress, he promised he would propose a Bill of Rights, including a provision for religious freedom. He kept his promise. On June 8, 1789, he went to the floor of the House and proposed amendments to be embedded throughout the original constitution, rather than as a separate Bill of Rights. His proposal included language that would evolve into…

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Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776, Declaration of Rights

Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776, Declaration of Rights

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January 1, 1776 This Pennsylvania Constitution grants broad religious freedoms to any citizen “who acknowledges the being of a God.” It also provides that conscientious objectors need not serve in the militia, a provision included to accommodate Quakers, who were highly influential in Pennsylvania. Article II. That all men have a natural and unalienable right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences and understanding: And that no man ought or of right can be compelled…

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Plain Truth: or, Serious Considerations On the Present State of the City of Philadelphia, and Province of Pennsylvania (Benjamin Franklin, 1706)

Plain Truth: or, Serious Considerations On the Present State of the City of Philadelphia, and Province of Pennsylvania (Benjamin Franklin, 1706)

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Benjamin Franklin 1706 In “A Tradesman of Philadelphia,” Franklin waded into a vexing religious/political dilemma of his time. Pennsylvania was controlled by Quakers, who were pacifists. But Indians, allied with the French, were raising the Pennsylvania border towns, scalping and terrorizing citizens. Franklin complimented the sincerity of the Quakers while nonetheless calling upon other Pennsylvanians to pay for the colony’s defense. It is said the wise Italians make this proverbial Remark on our Nation, viz. The English feel, but they…

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