Quakers

Quakers are part of a religious movement with historically Christian origins. Originally known as the Society of Friends or the Religious Society of Friends, the group arose from the English Civil War during the seventeenth century, when some Protestant groups moved away from the Church of England. In 1647 George Fox declared that God's light is within every person, asserting that people could have a direct relationship with god without ceremonies and rituals. Quakers played a major role in the abolition movement against slavery and continue to campaign for social justice and reform. Quakers have also founded many significant manufacturing companies, including Cadbury and C. & J. Clark. Women have played a significant part in the movement since its foundation and Elizabeth Fry began her prison reform work at Newgate Prison in the nineteenth century. In 1947, the Quakers (represented by the Friends Service Council in London and the American Friends Service Committee in Philadelphia) were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their post-war relief work and in 1961 the helped to found Amnesty International.