Final answer:
The Society of Friends, or Quakers, was established in the late 1640s in England by George Fox. The Quakers became known for their distinctive quiet worship, rejection of hierarchical structures, and early advocacy for social reform, including antislavery efforts and promoting gender equality. Many Quakers emigrated to the New World to escape persecution and continue practicing their faith and social principles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Society of Friends, commonly referred to as Quakers, was founded during the 1640s by George Fox. Dissatisfied with Puritanism and the notion of predestination, Fox established a denomination that emphasized the existence of an "inner light" in every individual—a spark of divinity that guided personal faith and rejected established religious hierarchy. Quakers practiced their religion in silent meetings awaiting spiritual revelation, stood against the war and all forms of social hierarchy, and promoted gender equality within their ranks. By the mid-1660s, their numbers had grown to about eighty thousand, predominantly comprising farmers, traders, and shopkeepers.
The radical egalitarian principles of Quakers led them to be early proponents of social equality, opposing slavery and practicing racial and gender equality long before these ideas became widely accepted. Their steadfast beliefs often brought them into conflict with the English government and other authorities, culminating in severe persecution that included fines, public whippings, and imprisonment. In search of religious freedom and to escape persecution, many Quakers emigrated to the New World, where they continued to spread their progressive ideas, including founding the world's first antislavery society.