The Germantown Petition Against Slavery: Crash Course Black American History #5

Summary

In this Crash Course episode, Clint Smith explores the complex history of Quakers in early America, highlighting their varied stances on slavery. While many Quakers were early abolitionists, some participated in the slave trade, viewing it as a means to evangelize. The Germantown Protest of 1688, one of the first anti-slavery documents, was presented by Quakers who saw the hypocrisy in owning slaves while professing Christian values. Despite initial rejection, this petition laid the groundwork for future Quaker involvement in the abolitionist movement.

Takeaways

• 🥞 The script discusses the history of Quaker Oats and the Quaker religion's association with qualities like goodness, peace, and honesty.
• 🌾 Quaker Oats is named after the Quakers, a Christian denomination known for their beliefs in spiritual freedom and direct communication with God.
• 🔍 The script explores the complex history of Quakers' stance on slavery, highlighting both their role in the abolitionist movement and some individuals' participation in the slave trade.
• 🚢 Slavery in the Delaware Valley, including Philadelphia, began in 1684 with the arrival of enslaved Africans on the ship Isabella.
• 🏘️ Pennsylvania, founded by Quaker William Penn, had a significant Quaker population that held varied views on slavery.
• 📜 The Germantown Protest of 1688 was one of the first formal documents to denounce slavery on moral and practical grounds by Quakers.
• 🙅‍♂️ Despite the Germantown Protest's rejection, it laid the groundwork for future Quaker involvement in the abolitionist movement.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The petition emphasized the hypocrisy of enslaving people, directly violating fundamental Christian values such as the Golden Rule.
• 🌎 The script cautions against overgeneralizing any group, including Quakers, who had a range of opinions on slavery.
• 📝 The Germantown protest is significant as it documents early white immigrants' abolitionist thought and their moral engagement in the fight for Black liberation.

Q & A

Why are Quaker Oats called 'Quaker' Oats?

Quaker Oats are called 'Quaker' because people have long associated Quakers with qualities of goodness, peace, and honesty, which are desirable qualities in food products.

What is the relationship between Quaker Oats and the actual Quakers?

There is no association between Quaker Oats and the actual Quakers; the name is used due to the positive qualities people associate with Quakers.

When did slavery begin in the Delaware Valley region of Philadelphia?

Slavery in the Delaware Valley region of Philadelphia began in 1684 with the arrival of 150 captives aboard the British vessel, the Isabella.

Who founded the colony of Pennsylvania and what was his religious affiliation?

The colony of Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn, who was a Quaker.

What was unique about the Quakers' religious beliefs during the time?

Quakers believed in spiritual freedom through their own inner light, allowing individuals to communicate directly with God without the need for priests.

How did some Quakers justify their participation in the transatlantic slave trade?

Some Quakers rationalized their participation in the slave trade as a form of evangelism, aiming to civilize Africans and convert them to Christianity.

What was George Fox's reaction to witnessing slavery firsthand in Barbados?

George Fox was more concerned with the lack of Christian conversion efforts among plantation owners than the violence and inhumanity of slavery itself.

What was the Germantown Protest and why was it significant?

The Germantown Protest was a written petition against slavery presented by four German-Dutch Quaker men in 1688. It was significant as one of the first formal documents to denounce slavery on moral and practical grounds.

What was the response of the Quaker Meeting to the Germantown Protest?

The Quaker Meeting responded with reluctance, suggesting it was too 'weighty' a problem to resolve and advised not to 'meddle' in the issue, ultimately rejecting the petition.

How did the Germantown Protest frame the issue of slavery in relation to Christian values?

The Germantown Protest highlighted the hypocrisy of slavery, stating it was a direct violation of the Golden Rule and the Quaker belief in the sanctity of family.

What was the broader impact of the Germantown Protest on the abolitionist movement?

Although the petition was unsuccessful, it laid the ideological foundation for many Quakers who later became actively engaged in the abolitionist movement in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Outlines

00:00

🍳 Introduction to Quaker Oats and Early American Slavery

The video begins with Clint Smith discussing his love for breakfast, particularly oatmeal, and introduces the topic of Quaker Oats. It delves into the historical association of Quakers with positive qualities like goodness, peace, and honesty, despite Quaker Oats having no direct connection to the religious group. The script then transitions into a discussion of the Quakers' complex relationship with slavery in early America, mentioning their varied opinions and the existence of one of the first abolitionist documents in the North American colonies. The history of slavery in British North America, particularly in the Delaware Valley region of Philadelphia, is outlined, highlighting the arrival of enslaved Africans in 1684 and the significant role of Quakers in the region's population. The script also touches on the Quakers' unique beliefs and their initial involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.

05:01

📜 The Germantown Protest and Quaker Views on Slavery

This section of the script focuses on the Germantown Protest of 1688, a written petition by four German-Dutch Quaker men that denounced slavery on moral and practical grounds. The petition was based on the fundamental Quaker belief in the unique worth of every human being. Despite the petition being rejected by the Quaker Meeting, it is significant as one of the first formal documents to oppose slavery. The script discusses the hypocrisy of some Quakers who were against slavery in principle but did not act on their beliefs, while also highlighting the efforts of those who would later become influential in the abolitionist movement. The Germantown petition is detailed, emphasizing the violation of Christian values through slavery, the importance of family within Quaker beliefs, and the moral issue of purchasing stolen goods, which they equated to the buying of enslaved people.

10:03

🌟 The Complexity of Quaker Stances and the Fight for Black Liberation

The final paragraph of the script emphasizes the importance of recognizing the diversity of opinions within any group, including the Quakers, and warns against overgeneralizing. It points out that while many Quakers were against slavery, not all shared this view. The script also discusses the significance of white people acknowledging their role in the fight for Black liberation, a theme that will be explored further in the series. The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to support Crash Course on Patreon to keep the educational content free for everyone.

Keywords

💡Quaker Oats

Quaker Oats is a brand of breakfast food known for its association with the Quaker religious group. The brand uses a 17th-century Quaker man on its packaging to represent qualities of goodness, peace, and honesty. In the video, Quaker Oats is mentioned as an example of how the Quaker name is associated with positive values, despite having no actual connection with the Quaker religious group.

💡Quakers

Quakers, also known as the Religious Society of Friends, are a Christian movement that originated in 17th-century England. They are known for their belief in the 'Inner Light' and direct communication with God, as well as their historical role in the abolitionist movement. The video discusses the complex history of Quakers in early America, particularly their varied stances on slavery.

💡Slavery

Slavery is the practice of owning people as property, often forcing them to work without pay. The video script discusses the prevalence of slavery in British North America, especially in the southern colonies, and its rapid expansion in the Delaware Valley region, including Philadelphia.

💡William Penn

William Penn was the founder of the Province of Pennsylvania and a prominent Quaker. He is mentioned in the script as an example of a Quaker who was involved in the slave trade, despite the Quaker faith's later association with the abolitionist movement.

💡Inner Light

The Inner Light is a Quaker belief that refers to the presence of God within every individual, allowing for direct spiritual experience without the need for intermediaries like priests. This concept is highlighted in the video as a radical departure from traditional Christian practices.

💡Abolitionist Movement

The Abolitionist Movement was a group of activists who sought to end slavery. The video emphasizes the Quakers' role as early leaders in this movement, despite internal disagreements and some Quakers' involvement in the slave trade.

💡Germantown Protest

The Germantown Protest was one of the first formal documents to denounce slavery, presented by four German-Dutch Quaker men in 1688. The video describes this petition as a significant moral stance against slavery, even though it was not initially successful in changing Quaker policy.

💡Golden Rule

The Golden Rule is a moral principle found in many cultures and religions, which states that one should treat others as one would like to be treated. The video uses the Golden Rule as a basis for the Germantown Protest's argument against slavery, highlighting the hypocrisy of enslaving people.

💡Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad was a secret network established in the 19th century to help enslaved people escape to freedom. The video mentions that Quakers provided aid to the Underground Railroad, illustrating their later commitment to the abolitionist cause.

💡George Fox

George Fox is considered the founder of Quakerism. The video discusses his visit to Barbados and his reaction to slavery, which was more focused on the lack of Christian evangelism among the enslaved population rather than the brutality of slavery itself. This example is used to illustrate the complex and sometimes contradictory views on slavery within the Quaker community.

💡Katharine Gerbner

Katharine Gerbner is a historian mentioned in the video for her book 'Christian Slavery,' which explores the experiences of English Quaker George Fox and the complexities of Quaker history regarding slavery. Her work provides context for understanding the varied Quaker attitudes towards slavery.

Highlights

Quaker Oats is named after the Quakers, a Christian group known for goodness, peace, and honesty.

Quakers have a complex history with slavery, including both abolitionist and pro-slavery views.

Slavery in the Delaware Valley region of Philadelphia began in 1684 with the arrival of 150 captives on the Isabella.

William Penn, a Quaker, founded Pennsylvania but also participated in the slave trade.

Quakers believed in spiritual freedom and direct communication with God, differing from other Christian groups.

Some Quakers in the Caribbean justified slave ownership as a form of evangelism.

George Fox, founder of Quakerism, saw no contradiction between Christianity and the slave trade.

The Germantown Protest of 1688 was one of the first formal documents to denounce slavery on moral grounds.

The petition argued that slavery violated the Golden Rule and Quaker beliefs in family.

The Germantown Protest petition was ultimately rejected by the Quaker community.

The petition highlighted the hypocrisy of Quakers owning slaves while claiming to follow Christian values.

Despite the rejection, the Germantown Protest laid the groundwork for later Quaker involvement in the abolitionist movement.

Quakers would later become influential in the abolitionist movement and the underground railroad.

The Germantown Protest is significant as it shows early white abolitionist thought in the United States.

The petition used Christian values to argue against slavery, showing a moral stance against it.

The Quaker stance on slavery was not uniform, with a range of opinions within the group.

The Germantown protest demonstrates the importance of white people recognizing their role in the fight for Black liberation.

The series will continue to explore the concept of white people's involvement in Black liberation.

Transcripts

Hi, I'm Clint Smith, and this is Crash Course Black American History.

If you’re like me, you love breakfast.

Pancakes, waffles, french toast, bacon, sausage.

You name it, I am here for it.

And one other breakfast food that I love, and that my kids really love, is oatmeal,

especially with some raisins, maybe some diced strawberries, and some cinnamon!?

Man, shout out to Quaker Oats.

Speaking of which, did you ever wonder why they’re even called Quaker Oats?

Well, part of the reason we have a random 17th century Quaker man on the front of the

box is because people have long associated Quakers with qualities of goodness, and peace,

and honesty.[1] Which are qualities you like to see in people...and in your oatmeal?

(But, for the record, Quaker Oats has no association with the actual Quakers.)

Anyway, today we’re going to take a closer look at the Quakers in early America, including

their varying opinions and relationships to slavery, which led to many disagreements within

the group, as well as one of the first abolitionist documents in the North American colonies.

INTRO By the late 1600s, British North America had

become well accustomed to the practice of slavery.

Though it was not nearly as integral to the economy in the north as it was to the south,

the practice did expand rapidly, including in the Delaware Valley region of Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania.

Slavery in this region began in 1684 with the arrival of some 150 captives aboard the

British vessel, the Isabella.

The slave ship brought a highly sought after commodity to Philadelphia, free labor, tapping

into the colonists' desire to obtain enslaved workers.

Soon, enslaved Africans would make up around a seventh of the city's entire population.

The colony of Pennsylvania had been founded by a man named Willam Penn, who himself was

a Quaker, but not the man on the Quaker Oats box.

The Quakers, whose denomination of Christianity developed in England in the mid-seventeenth

century, were also a significant portion of Philadelphia's population during this time.

Quakers’s beliefs were pretty different--and in some ways radically different--than other

Christian groups.

For example, they were one of the first to argue that individuals could realize spiritual

freedom through their own inner light--that people could communicate /directly/ with God,

so priests weren’t really needed to do so.

Quakers were also well known for being forerunners of the abolitionist movement.

But as always with history, it’s complicated.

We should make clear that even though Quakers as a whole were at the forefront of abolitionist

work, within the denomination there were people with a range of views on the subject.

Some Quakers, far from being abolitionist or even indifferent to chattel slavery, even

participated in the transatlantic slave trade themselves.

In the seventeenth century, many Quakers in the Caribbean, for example, purchased captives

in Barbados in what some of them rationalized as a form of evangelism, an effort, they said,

to civilize these Africans and convert them to Christianity.

In her book, Christian Slavery, historian Katharine Gerbner discusses the experiences

of English Quaker George Fox to highlight some of the complexities in Quaker history

when it comes to the issue of slavery.

She emphasizes the stark contrast between Quakers who held anti-slavery beliefs and

those whose primary concern was maintaining quote "well-ordered Quaker Households with

Christian Slaves."

Fox, regarded as the founder of Quakerism, was a already a proponent of "universal evangelization,"

and during a trip to Barbados in 1671, when he had the opportunity to witness slavery

first hand, his conceptions of Christianity were made to confront slavery directly.

You might think that witnessing the violence and barbarity of enslavement would have deeply

unsettled anyone who purports to hold Christian views, and would have made clear to them that

slavery was inconsistent with their faith.

Right?

Well, no.

Instead, during his trip Fox spoke of what he saw as deplorable promiscuity and polygamous

relationships among the enslaved (even though, we should note, there were often forced breeding

practices imposed on them).

And Fox said he was shocked and angered to find that plantation owners in Barbados had

no intention of trying to convert their labor force to Christianity.

Something he saw as essential.

So no, it wasn't the horrific, violent nature of Caribbean slavery that sent him over the

edge.

Instead it was the belief that quote: "the Gospel [should be] preached to every creature

under Heaven."

Apparently he saw no contradiction between the idea of a loving God, and the barbarous

institution in front of him that was perpetuated in God’s name.

We should note that Fox wasn’t alone in what today we clearly see as a moral paradox.

This evangelical approach, which provided justification for those participating in the

slave trade, was actually not considered controversial at the time.

In Pennsylvania, it was not uncommon for Quaker leaders to own enslaved laborers.

Even William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania, purchased laborers from Quakers who owned

plantations in Barbados.

Penn and other Quaker leaders simply believed that slavery was necessary to secure the economic

welfare of this developing colony.

There were, however, still many Quakers who opposed slavery on moral grounds.

And Quakers would later become one of the most influential white religious groups to

lead anti-slavery protests.

They even provided direct aid to the abolitionist movement and the underground railroad.

Let's go to the thought bubble.

In 1688, four German-Dutch Quaker men presented what would become known as the Germantown

Protest, at a monthly local meeting in Dublin, Pennsylvania.

But we’re not talking about a big public protest like with signs and chanting or anything

like that.

This was a written protest, a petition, with a list of demands advocating that the Quakers

form a united front and publicly endeavor to end slavery.

The four men who drafted this petition -- Gerret (GEHR-eht) Hendricks, Derk up de Graeff (DUR-keh

UHP deh GRAYF), Francis Daniell Pastorius (PAA-STOHr-ee-uhs), and Abraham op den Graef

(OHP DEH-neh GRAYF) -- made their complaints based on the fundamental Quaker beliefs that

each human being is of unique worth.

The Germantown petition, named for the location where it was drafted, became one of the first

formal documents to denounce the institution of slavery on moral and practical grounds.

These Quakers openly challenged the logic behind slavery and the violence enslaved laborers

were subjected to.

Unfortunately, although many prominent Quakers shared these sentiments, they weren’t willing

to turn those sentiments into action.

And primary source documents from the time reveal that it received…a less-than-enthusiastic

response.

After listening to the petitioners and "inspecting the matter," the official response of the

Meeting was that, given the nature of the complaint, it was best that they not "meddle"

in the issue.

They claimed it was too "weighty" of a problem for them to try to resolve at that time.

They decided to pass the issue off to a Quarterly Meeting, then it was passed to officials at

the yearly meeting where, ultimately, the full gathering would also reject the petition.

Thanks, Thought Bubble.

Even though the petition was ultimately unsuccessful, the way it laid out the hypocrisy of many

of their fellow Quakers was really significant.

In their draft, these Quaker men called out the hypocrisy of enslavement, pointing out

that it was a direct violation of several fundamental Christian values.

The petition pointed out that enslaving people is a pretty direct violation of the Golden

Rule.

You know the one we learn in kindergarten: treat others the way you want to be treated.

The petition read in part, "we shall doe to all men like as we will be done ourselves;

making no difference of what generation, descent, or colour they are."

The petitioners also appealed to the strong sense of family that is essential to Quaker

beliefs.

They stated that Africans families had no chance at survival under the oppressive institution

of slavery: "Pray, what thing in the world can be done

worse towards us, than if men should rob or steal us away, and sell us for slaves to strange

countries, separating husbands [sic] from their wives and children”

They also made a special note that you shouldn't buy stolen goods, framing it as a larger moral

issue tied to enslavement.

"We who profess that it is not lawful to steal, must likewise, avoid to purchase things as

are stolen, but rather help stop this robbing and stealing if possible."

This is important because in the petition, they stressed that Africans were captives

brought to the Americas against their will, and for that reason, they too, are stolen.

Our impassioned petitioners even suggested that the hypocricacy was so blatant, that

slavery's very existence in the colony prevented Quakers in other areas of the world from migrating

to Pennsylvania because of this clear contradiction of their values and practices.

Given the social and political context of the moment, it is perhaps not surprising that

this petition was rejected by land-owning white men who were still working to establish

their place in the American colonies.

But, the letter itself is still important for us to learn about because it serves as

documentation of abolitionist-thought among white immigrants in the United States.

Moreover, it served as a strong ideological foundation for many Quakers, who were later

even more actively engaged in the abolitionist movement spanning the 18th and 19th centuries.

So as you can see, there were some groups--or groups within groups--of white immigrants

who recognized the maltreatment of enslaved Africans, and whose fight against it is documented

in writing from well over 300 years ago.

And their argument was rooted in something most colonial regions could relate to: Christianity.

The four Quaker men who presented the Germantown petition in 1688 drew inspiration from the

Bible to make plain the contradictions, and the inhumanity of slavery.

At the same time, as we saw in the case of George Fox, it would be too simple to suggest

that these were the beliefs of all Quakers -- they weren’t, and it’s important for

us to complicate and problematize any rhetoric that suggest all Quakers were against slavery.

Many were, but certainly not all.

And this should be a lesson we carry with us throughout our journey through all of American

history: we should be wary of overgeneralizing any group of people.

There are often a range of opinions, perspectives, and ideas that exist within any group, Quakers

or otherwise.

The Germantown protest also showcases the significance of white people recognizing that

they themselves had a moral and human stake in the fight for Black liberation.

This is a concept we will continue to explore throughout this series.

Thanks for watching.

I'll see you next time.

Crash Course Black American History is made with the help of all these nice people and

our animation team is Thought Cafe.

Crash Course is a Complexly production.

If you wanna keep imagining the world complexly with us, you can check out some of our other

channels like Healthcare Triage, Animal Wonders, and Scishow Psych.

And, if you'd like to keep Crash Course free for everybody, forever, you can support the

series at Patreon; a crowdfunding platform that allows you to support the content you

love.

Thank you to all of our patrons for making Crash Course possible with their continued

support.

________________ [1] https://www.quakeroats.com/about-quaker-oats/quaker-history