The Religious Society of Free Quakers , originally called "The Religious Society of Friends, by some styled the Free Quakers," was established on February 20, 1781 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania. More commonly known as Free Quakers , the Society was founded by members of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers , who had been expelled for failure to adhere to the Peace Testimony during the American Revolutionary War . Many of its early members were prominent Quakers involved in the American Revolution before the society was established.
3-587: The Free Quaker Meetinghouse is a historic Free Quaker meeting house at the southeast corner of 5th and Arch Streets in the Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania . It was built in 1783, and is a plain 2 1 ⁄ 2 -story brick building with a gable roof. The second floor was added in 1788. The building was moved about 30 feet (9.1 m) to its present site in 1961, to allow for
6-741: The end of the American Revolutionary War, the number of Free Quakers began to dwindle as some members died and others were either accepted back into the Society of Friends or by other religious institutions. The final meeting of the Free Quakers was held in 1836. There is a small group of Free Quakers in Indiana who continue the tradition of the Five Principles (Inner Light, peace, simplicity, justice, stewardship) and
9-863: The widening of Fifth Street. Quaker meetings were held in the building until 1836, after which it was occupied by the Apprentices' Library Company of Philadelphia until 1897. The meetinghouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. Notes Free Quaker Notable Free Quakers at the early meetings included Samuel Wetherill , who served as clerk and preacher; Timothy Matlack and his brother White Matlack ; William Crispin ; Colonel Clement Biddle and his brother Owen Biddle ; Benjamin Say ; Christopher Marshall ; Joseph Warner; and Peter Thompson . Other notable Free Quakers include Lydia Darragh and Betsy Ross . Following
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