This is a portrait of Lucretia Mott. She was one of five people who organized the first Women's Rights Convention at the Wesleyan Chapel in July of 1848. The other people who organized the Women's Rights Convention were Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Martha Wright, Mary Ann M'Clintock, and Jane Hunt.

Who are the Quakers? According to an article in the Cobblestone magazine, "Quakers," by Helen Wieman Bledsoe, the Quakers are a religious group of people (also known as the Religious Society of Friends) that believe that every person has a little bit of God in them, making every person equal to another. They call this the inner light. For this reason, along with others Quakers helped fight oppression.

There are three groups of Quakers: Progressive Friends, Hicksite Friends, and Orthodox. The Hicksite Friends broke off from the Orthodox Friends in 1827. The Progressive Friends formed in the 1840’s and were the most active in fighting oppression. The reason Progressive Friends were so active was because they were most concerned about equal rights. These groups, although they are different, all come from the Quaker religion. Also, Quakers branched off of Christianity along with Unitarian and Universalism religions.

Not only did Quakers fight oppression, some experienced it. Quaker women did not have the same rights as most white men. They did not have a vote, they could not keep their wages, and they did not receive fair wages. Not only that but women could not own property unless they were unmarried or the received it as a gift. Also, women were taxed, and without a vote, that is taxation without representation. American men were enraged about this when it happened to them in the 1750’s through the 1770’s.

There were many strategies Quakers used to fight oppression. They fought against slavery by working on the Underground Railroad (a network of people who took freedom seekers and hid them in safe houses and then took them to another safe house and then to Canada/freedom). The Quakers had the highest percentage of any religious group on the Underground Railroad.

Also, Quakers boycotted (didn’t buy) products made by slaves, such as sugar and cotton. For the women’s suffrage movement they spoke for equal rights and 23 of them signed the Declaration of Sentiments. Against oppression in general Quakers used love, faith and reason, wrote books, pamphlets, and articles and held peaceful marches.

Related Links:
The Anthony Family
Lucretia Mott
Isaac Post
Amy Post