Imagine being brought in front of a magistrate to answer for your radical and unorthodox religious views. Trembling and quaking would probably come with the territory. But for George Fox, founder of the Religious Society of Friends, the interrogation process was no catalyst for knee-knocking. It was, however, an opportunity to share his religious convictions. And it was his suggestion that the judge himself "tremble at the word of the Lord" that led to the judge's sarcastic later reference to Fox as a Quaker. The term stuck and has become the popular name for the Religious Society of Friends.
At nineteen, Fox wandered the English countryside, seeking understanding and a way to gain direct access to God. But after a fruitless search for a preacher who could help him, Fox had revelation in 1647 with this message: "There is One, even Christ Jesus, that can speak to thy condition." Fox felt a call from God to speak fervently about the idea that an element of God's spirit is implanted within every person's soul and to gather people together to worship God directly.
Over the next few years, Fox developed this idea of the "Inward Christ that existed from the beginning" and preached it to a growing number of believers. From 1671 through 1673, he toured the American colonies, organizing Quaker communities and seeking converts. Quakerism took hold in the budding nation, and the development of Pennsylvania and New Jersey can be traced back to Quakers of this period. In fact, the Quaker belief system played a large role in shaping amicable relations with the area's Native Americans.
