User:Cpre0276/sandbox

= Role of American Quaker Women =

Spinsterhood and Female Travelling Ministers
It was not uncommon for female Quakers to become spinsters, referring to unmarried women that were considered unlikely to marry in the future, within American colonies, in particular Pennsylvania. The prevalence of women choosing to stay unmarried, also known as spinsterhood, evolved from contemporary interpretations of traditional Quaker ideals that regarded men and women as spiritually equal. Spinsterhood was viewed as a method for women to oppose the restrictive gender hierarchy associated with marriage, and used to reinforce the religious egalitarian principles that formed the foundation of classical Quaker ideology. Evidence of such attitudes towards marriage has been illustrated in the writings, particularly poems and letters, of prominent 18th century Quaker spinsters. Susanna Wright, notable English-American Quaker and spinster, explicitly acknowledged the importance of spinsterhood in her poem titled “To Eliza. Norris at Fairhill". Here, Wright celebrates Norris’ refusal to “yield obedience” to marital ideals, and applauds her choice to allow “freedom reign” and remain single. Similarly, Hannah Griffitts, friend of Wright and fellow Pennsylvanian Quaker and spinster, described her choice to abstain from marriage, in one of her poems, as an effort “to Keep my dear Liberty Long as I can”.

Quakerism largely supported the choice of these women to remain single, as the rejection of inequality aligned with the radical marital teachings of Quaker founder, George Fox, a fact illustrated in his own wedding to Margaret Fell. During the pair’s wedding which sought to affirm principles of gender equality, neither party was given away by a figure of authority, and promises of subordination, typical of most weddings at the time, were avoided by Fell. Additionally, Fell was a prominent Quaker figure quick to acknowledge the common association between single women and Quakerism, asserting that it was socially acceptable for a Quaker woman to remain single, particularly as it often resulted in a stronger devotion to the religion.

Many women were enticed towards spinsterhood as it permitted a level of piety, particularly associated with becoming a travelling minister, that could not be achieved by someone occupied with assuming the role of a wife or mother. Female ministers, often in pairs, were given the task of travelling, typically transatlantic travelling between American colonies and England, for the purpose of spreading the religion and preaching its ideology. Approximately, between 1,300 and 1,500 female Quakers transatlantically travelled as part of the ministry during the 18th century. Active involvement in the ministry was seen as a display of optimal Quaker femininity, with many spinster missionaries often receiving acclaim for their virtue and devotion to the religion and its mission. As the nature of this travelling was not compatible with motherhood, or other forms of traditional domestic roles that required permanent settlement, it was a highly suitable duty for women of an unmarried status. However, not all female missionaries rejected marriage entirely, with some opting to marry later into their thirties, forties and fifties, allowing these Quaker women to experience both religious vocation as well as family life.

The Spread of Literacy through Quaker Women
The written works of Quaker women reveal today their feelings, thoughts, and motivations surrounding their religion. American Quaker women held literature, writing, and the sharing of ideas and thoughts in the highest regard, believing that God desired they share their messages and meetings between each other and other Americans. During a time of censorship in an already patriarchal society, these women, who refer to themselves and each other as Friends, wrote an abundance of literature including  journals, diaries, letters, pamphlets, epistles, travel journals, and spiritual autobiographies. These writings created a sense of community and openness with each other and the ability to spread literacy and culture into the foundation of early American life. Carla Gerona writes on the connection between the women Friends discussing how they shared their manuscripts, read them aloud, or recopied passages into their own journals. Epistles were a significant medium for the women Friends as they kept records of their meetings, discussions, and thoughts which in turn created a massive collection of written works that were shared and collected across the United States. Despite the collection of works never being published formally for public consumption, travelling ministers would share their work with others and connect with Quaker women differently than they would with their own.

Quaker women were, as Barry Levy suggests, spiritual and loving, capable of creating a communion of “true womanhood”. Spiritual Mothers were a critical aspect of the women’s Quaker community, acting as leaders in customs such as dress, home furnishings disciplines and manners. The role of this leading lady helped produce many of these inscriptions found describing American Quaker women’s customs and lives. Quaker women also wrote about their bodies concerning God and his guidance, using literature as an outlet for this. Michelle Tarter states “... Friends recognised the critical connections between writing, identity, and spiritual community.”, thereby clarifying this idea of the power writing held for women practising Quakerism.

The influence of British Quakerism ran deep in Philadelphia however, the segregation of men and women was more common, with Quaker women adopting Quietism into their religious practices. The looming censorships of female voices lead to many women ministers remaining quiet in mixed meetings, a decision written about thoroughly by Mary Weston: “It was my lot to sit in silence until the Women separated from the men.”. Martha Routh and Patience Brayton both also wrote their feelings on the subject, as Brayton wrote “I was silent until the men withdrew, and the women's meeting came on: then my mouth was opened…”. Through their writings it is clear that despite Britain’s influence on American Quakerism, America’s patriarchal values affected the religious community vigorously. However, the importance of spiritual writings and openings to God through literature created an abundance of female voices in 18th-century literature, many of which are autobiographies.

Margaret Wilson Pryor
Margaret Wilson Pryor (1785-1874) was a prominent Quaker, abolitionist and anti-slavery activist during the 19th century. Her parents, John and Sarah Wilson, and her husband, George Pryor, were all Quakers. Amongst her fellow activists, she was commonly referred to as “Aunt Margaret”, since she was older than the others and would offer her house as accommodation to travelling activists. Margaret moved from her home in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) to Waterloo (New York) and became a member of the Junius Monthly Meeting of Friends that connected prominent Quaker reformer families, such as the M’Clintocks and the Hunts. In 1836, Margaret and the rest of the Junius Monthly Meeting of Friends advocated for change to a regulation in the Discipline of Genesee Yearly Meeting book for equality in meetings. They proposed “that the discipline be so altered that men's and women's meetings shall stand on the same footing in all matters in which they are equally interested.” The same year in December, twenty Waterloo residents created a society for the abolition of slavery. Most churches and courthouses did not allow for anti-slavery orations, therefore complicating convenings. They continued to advocate and in February 1939, the Waterloo residents sent delegates, including both Margaret and George Pryor and Quakers from the Hunt family, to the Antislavery Convention of Western New York in Penn Yan, to represent Waterloo. In 1842, as part of their annual meetings, the American Anti-Slavery Society decided to send twenty agents on tour, including eight that would travel to upstate New York. The latter included Quaker Abby Kelley, who travelled with fellow activists including Margaret and George Pryor. Margaret was often a travelling companion and bookkeeper to Kelley, hosting her on their speaking travels that year. When speaking about Margaret, Elizabeth Cady Stanton stated that Kelley “used to say she always felt safe when she could see Margaret Pryor's Quaker bonnet.” However, since they had travelled with men, Kelley wrote that people hissed with “the forked tongue of slander.” She also noted that “even Aunt Margaret Pryor's Quaker bonnet and honest, almost angel face was not sufficient to shield us.” Not only did their tours help to revitalise abolitionism in western New York, they connected Waterloo and Seneca Falls abolitionists to other reformers in the region. Margaret and George Pryor joined the Western New York Anti-Slavery Society.

In July 1848, Margaret and her son George W. Pryor, signed the Declaration of Sentiments at the First Women’s Rights Convention at the Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls, New York, which demanded equality for women in education, employment, law, and suffrage. In October, both Margaret and George Pryor helped found the Friends of Human Progress, supporting woman's rights. In December, Margaret Pryor and Mary Ann M’Clintock developed an antislavery fair with other Quaker women from western New York, continuing the annual fairs that had been organised in 1843.