The Quakers in the American Colonies

by Rufus Matthew Jones, Isaac Sharpless, Amelia Mott Gummere

This book is an attempt to study historically and critically the religious movement inaugurated in the New World by the Quakers, an important movement both for the history of the development of religion and for the history of the American Colonies, and to present it not only in its external setting but also in the light of its inner meeting. At the time of original publication in 1911, Rufus M. Jones, M.A., D.Litt., was Professor of Philosophy at Haverford College; Isaac Sharpless, D.Sc., was President of Haverford College; and Amelia M. Gummere, was author of The Quaker - A Study in Costume.

640 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 2015

About the author

Rufus Matthew Jones (January 25, 1863 – June 16, 1948) was an American religious leader, writer, magazine editor, philosopher, and college professor. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Haverford Emergency Unit (a precursor to the American Friends Service Committee). One of the most influential Quakers of the 20th century, he was a Quaker historian and theologian as well as a philosopher. He is the only person to have delivered two Swarthmore Lectures.

Reviews

[J.J. Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ummm note to self: in chapter entitled “Quakers and Indians”: Quakers took up arms in defense of Indigenous folks.

P. 506 -
“Encouraged by this immunity, they [“Paxton Boys”] announced their intention of meting out a like fate to a band of Moravian Indians that had been removed for safety to Philadelphia, and intimated that the Quakers who stood in their way, especially Israel Pemberton, might be treated similarly.

“A band of several hundred [“Paxton Boys”] marched in rude array from the Susquehanna, and encamped at Germantown. The town rose to arms to defend the Indians. Many young Friends joined, and it being a cold winter day the meetinghouse served as barracks, and the guns were stacked in the gallery.

“This show of force was all that was necessary.”

Daaaaaaannnnnnggggg.