February 18, 2017
First Protest Against Slavery in English Colonies

“An argument arose among them as to which one of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a little child and put it by his side, 48 and said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest.” Luke 9:46-50

On this date, February 18, 1688, a group of Quakers conduct the first formal protest of slavery in Germantown, Pa.

“In what has been called the first step against African American slavery in the English colonies, the authors of the Germantown Petition Against Slavery called upon the golden rule to illuminate their protest. Drafted by Francis Daniel Pastorius and signed by himself and three others, the petition stated: “There is a saying that we shall doe (sic) to all men like as we will be done ourselves; making no difference of what generation, descent or color they are.” Populated by carpenters, weavers, tailors, and shoemakers, the immigrant Mennonite and Quaker families that comprised Germantown knew the pain of religious persecution and valued the religious freedoms of their new home. As such, it was difficult for them to understand how some of their fellow English settlers could support the slave trade. Five years after the founding of Germantown, Pastorius and three others presented their views on slavery to the nearby Dublin Quaker Meeting. Unfortunately, though the members of the Meeting agreed slavery was unjust, they were unable to arrive at a consensus that involved any direct action. The petition was forwarded to the Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting, then to the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Minutes indicate that the petition was ultimately sent to the London Yearly Meeting, though it’s unclear whether it actually arrived, as the LYM made no mention of it. The practice of slavery continued in the colonies, and was both tolerated and practiced by some Quaker communities. Though their arguments often fell on deaf ears, the members of Germantown continued to speak against slavery. In time, their leadership influenced both Quaker abolitionists and Philadelphia society, and in 1776, Quakers penned an official proclamation banning slavery.” (TODAY IN 1688: QUAKERS CONDUCT THE FIRST FORMAL PROTEST AGAINST SLAVERY IN GERMANTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, February 18, 2011, As part of Black History Month, Westlaw Insider will be examining issues and events that have shaped African American history.)

The disciples were unclear about a teaching from Jesus, but instead of sitting to discuss the matter, they broke out into an argument about who was the greatest – or who would be the greatest. OMG – that sounds like so many conversations I have heard this year. When people don’t agree with one another, or when they don’t understand one another, instead of sitting and trying to listen to one another, they break out into an argument trying to belittle each other claiming that their stance is better and any other carries no credence. And so many of those arguments revolve around religious, cultural, and political fears.

In a different place, in a different time, some Quakers from Germantown did not agree with the treatment of African Americans in the colonies, in particular with the issue of slavery. Though many did not agree with them, the Quakers persisted, writing an official proclamation some 88 years later banning slavery. Most certainly there were Quakers as well as others who did not agree with them. But with faith and conviction, they found a way to lift their voices against this practice and persist in the face of opposition.

There are times when we need to sit and listen. And there are times we need to speak. The challenge is to know when to do each, so that we honor the dignity of all people.

Pastor Dave