Class Year

2018

Document Type

Blog Post

Publication Date

12-18-2015

Department 1

Civil War Institute

Abstract

Quakers in the Civil War seems like an inherently contradictory idea; the Society of Friends practices pacifism and nonviolence, and, for many, putting money or resources toward war efforts goes against the faith. But tensions were high in 1861, and deviations from Quakerism were made when Friends, both Northern and Southern, had to choose whether to prioritize the sanctity of union, support abolition, or remain neutral. Each of these decisions had its share of repercussions within the religious community, and the Quakers themselves found their mindsets changing as the tide of the war rolled on, whether they chose to fight, support the war effort, or abstain from involvement [excerpt].

Comments

This blog post originally appeared in The Gettysburg Compiler and was created by students at Gettysburg College.

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