Editing Quakers Philadelphia (section)

== Abolitionism ==

Quakers pioneered abolitionism in America. The 1688 Germantown Petition, drafted by German Quakers, was the first formal protest against slavery in British North America. Philadelphia Yearly Meeting gradually moved toward opposing slavery, eventually requiring members to free enslaved people. By the Revolution, Quaker meetings had essentially eliminated slaveholding among members.<ref name="quakers"/>

Quaker abolitionists including John Woolman and Anthony Benezet advocated against slavery when it remained widely accepted. The Free Quaker movement, separating from the main body, allowed members to participate in the Revolutionary War, breaking the traditional peace testimony.<ref name="quakers"/>

In the antebellum period, Philadelphia Quakers participated in the Underground Railroad, providing shelter and assistance to people escaping slavery. The Arch Street Meeting House and other locations served as stations on the network.<ref name="quakers"/>