Friends, Religious Society of

Friends, Religious Society of, religious body originating in England in the middle of the 17th cent. under George Fox. The members are commonly called Quakers, originally a term of derision.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• The Organization of the Society
• The Service
• The Friends in the United States
• Origins and Early Years
• Bibliography

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2025, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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