After the first period of Quakerism, Friends moved into a quietist period in which they looked more inward. Women remained very important within the Religious Society of Friends, but few became well known in the larger society. In the 19th century, many Friends broke out of the quietist mold and became active in both evangelistic and social reform endeavors. A number of Quaker women, and women nurtured in Quaker families but did not remain Friends, made a great impact during this period (including the early years of the 20th century, for my purposes here), including:
- Elizabeth Gurney Fry, of the prominent British Quaker Gurney family. Her evangelical zeal and Christian compassion led her to work with prisoners, the insane, and the homeless. She was internationally renowned for her work, and even today there are Elizabeth Fry Societies devoted to prison work. She was also an eloquent evangelical preacher. An example of her sermons is What owest thou unto thy Lord?
- Elizabeth Heyrick - anti-slavery activist and social reformer.
- Lucretia Coffin Mott, prominent abolitionist, women's rights, and peace movement leader.
- Susan B. Anthony, best known for her women's suffrage work, but her first cause was temperance and she was later active in the abolitionist movement. Some Web sources on Anthony:
- Sarah and Angelina Grimké, leading abolitionists and women's rights leaders who converted to Quakerism.
- Hannah Whitall Smith, noted evangelist, temperance activist, and supporter of women's suffrage. She is best known for writing A Christian's Secret of a Happy Life, a devotional classic which has stood the test of time.
- Jane Addams, prominent social worker and peace activist. She founded Hull House, a Chicago settlement house, and co-founded the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF).
- Emily Greene Balch, Nobel Peace Prize winner and co-founder of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF).
Five women organized the First Woman's Rights Convention at Seneca Falls, New York in 1848, and the same five women drafted the famous Declaration of Sentiments. Four of the five women were Quakers.
Here are some books you might find helpful (look for biographies of most of the women cited in the Web links given):
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