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Quakers and Politics
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William Penn (1621-1670) founded the colony of Pennsylvania, a sanctuary for freedom of conscience at a time when religious persecution was widespread in Britain. The written consitution of Pennsylvania was pioneering in terms of equality of rights for women, people of different races and religions. |
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Thomas Paine (1737-1809) was the son of Quaker parents from Thetford in Norfolk. In America his writings helped inspire a nation. He had a grand vision for society: he was staunchly anti-slavery, and he was one of the first to advocate a world peace organization and social security for the poor and elderly. In his work called The Age of Reason (see Archive of his Writings), he described his opposition to established religion and this alienated the establishment. |
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John Bright (1811-1889)was a British statesman in Victorian times. He worked within the government to repeal the Corn Laws and opposed what he saw as unjust laws and government policies. A statue of John stands in Albert Square in Manchester, in front of the Town Hall. Personal note by Jenny: John Bright was in the cotton industry, as was my great-great grandfather Samuel Hunter. Both men were born in Rochdale in Lancashire and they both attended the same Quaker Meeting. Rochdale meeting house no longer exists, but John was buried in the Quaker Burial Ground, which remains, and his grave is marked with a plain headstone in the manner of Friends.
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Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) was thirty-first president of the United States (1929-1933) and the son of a Quaker blacksmith. He headed the American Relief Administration, which sent shiploads of food and other life-sustaining supplies to war-ravaged Europe, including Germany and Bolshevik Russia during the famine in that country in 1921 to 1923. Hoover vigorously supported U.S. membership in the League of Nations. He spearheaded efforts that ultimately led to construction of Hoover Dam and the St. Lawrence Seaway. He illustrated his continuing dedication to humanitarian rescue when he supervised relief efforts during and after the Mississippi flood of 1927. Unfortunately, his administration could not solve the problems of the Depression following the Wall Street Crash of 1929. |
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Richard Nixon (1913-1994) was thirty-seventh president of the United States (1969-1974). He had a Quaker background and placed great importance on his faith. Resigned in disgrace after the Watergate scandal. In very unquakerly behaviour, Nixon denied involvement in the scandal. The association of Nixon with Quakerism is a source of mixed feelings among those of us who value honesty as a Quaker attribute. However, he was responsible for some good initiatives in US politics. |