Virtual Lecture – The Quakers and the Birth of American Antislavery

The Quakers—formally known as the Society of Friends—were the first group of white Christians to confront slaveholding as a religious problem that demanded social action. But in the 1600s, many Quakers were slaveholders themselves. It took energy and activism on the part of a small number of activists within this faith group to disrupt that status quo and steer their church towards an outspoken commitment to Black freedom. This lecture by historian Richard Bell tells that story, focusing in on the 1688 Germantown Protest as well the later crusades of three 18th-century Quaker men—Benjamin Lay, John Woolman, and Anthony Benezet.

Registration required.

Cost: $15 per household for General Admission; $10 per household for HA Members & Volunteers