Quakers in Germantown made the first recorded protest against slavery in 1688. Many Quakers, especially in the southern colonies, owned slaves at this time.
During much of the eighteenth century, the focus was on eliminating slavery within the Quaker community. This was achieved in 1774. Many individuals helped to change opinions. Benjamin Lay campaigned by standing barefoot in the snow outside a Quaker meeting to show the conditions slaves endured. Antony Benezet, a great Quaker wrote several books on slavery and conditions in Africa. Many Quakers freed their own slaves, and some bought slaves from others, in order to free them. Slaves went on being released and in 1774, Quakers who still owned slaves were expelled from the Society of Friends.
After eliminating slavery from their own communities, they turned their attention to eradicating slavery in the society as whole. Two activities developed. Trying to win hearts and minds. The other supporting escaping slaves, and helping them to build new lives.
Supporting slaves and former slaves also took many forms. The Underground Railroad was a set of routes and safe houses whereby escaping slaves could make their way from the slave-owning South to the emancipated North.
Nevertheless slavery among non-Quakers continued, in parts of the US, until 1865. It was central to the Civil War (1861-5), the outcome of which was that slavery was finally abolished throughout the Union.
However, slavery persists in modern forms, such as forced labor, in many parts of the world. Many North American Quakers are involved in activities concerned with abolishing these modern forms of slavery.