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George Fox (1624-1691)

Seventeenth century England was time of great political, economic, and religious upheaval. Bitter struggle among the Puritans, the Anglican Church, and remnants of the Roman Catholic church caused some to become disillusioned with established religions which they felt had become too concerned with material form and had lost touch with their inner spirituality. One such individual was George Fox (1624-1691). Following an unsuccessful four-year spiritual journey for answers to his spiritual questions, Fox realized that God had given the answers to his questions within himself. In 1647 he heard a voice which said, "there is one, even Jesus Christ, who can speak to thy condition."

He believed that direct spiritual encounter with God is possible, Fox devoted the rest of his life to sharing his view of the human-divine relationship and, in the process, founded the "Friends" movement in 1652. The Society of Friends took its name from the New Testament gospel of John, which says, "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you" (John 15:14) and "I have called you friends" (John 15:15). His fellow believers called themselves "Friends of Truth" and "Children of Light". Others referred to them as "Quakers" because it was said that they trembled, or quaked, with zeal in delivering their religious message. Friends have since adopted the term Quakers.

George Fox, regarded as the founder of the Quaker movement, passed through the future site of Philadelphia in September, 1672 during his two year ministry. Bronze bust by Alfred Turner, 1901, in Friends House Library, London.

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