Philadelphia Quakers and the Antislavery Movement

Like many wealthy colonists of the time, Quakers bought and sold slaves. But a movement to remove slavery from their midst, sparked by their religious beliefs, grew until they renounced the slave trade and freed their slaves. This determination to stand against slavery led some Quakers to join with others to be a part of the Underground Railroad. The transition from friend to foe of slavery was not a quick one but one that was ahead of the rest of America.