In this biography you will learn about John Woolman and his role in Civil Disobedience and the conflict of civil law and civil rights.
Man's ideas of liberty and life have always harbored a conflict of civil law and civil rights. Disobedience of civil law takes place when an individual's conscience interferes with society's rules. Socrates, Plato, Jesus, the Sadducee's and the Pharisee's of Biblical times, all, displayed civil disobedience by going against government, current philosophy, tax collectors and the worship of idols. People are continuing to increase their stand on issues of conscience. Individuals great and small have influenced and inspired enthusiasts for every cause. One such man, perhaps, the most prominent man of his day, was "the earnest Quaker," a man who not only preached brotherhood, but also practiced it. John Woolman, early Quaker abolitionist, devoted much of his life to freeing black slaves through civil disobedience.
The Woolman's came to the new world in 1678. They settled in West New Jersey and were prominent businessmen and substantial landholders by Quaker standards. Woolman, as was his father, was active in politics, business and religion. He achieved the knowledge of reading, surveying, accounting, medicine and the drawing of legal documents without the benefit of conventional schooling. Woolman's life was based on morals of love and conscience. At an early age, he learned the writings of God's word and amplified his interpretation of the Bible into his life. This strong belief in the scripture systematically led him into a life of trying to correct the evils of society. He used his belief in God to justify his defiance of the keeping of slaves. Woolman claimed it a sin to keep slaves; and insisted, "[t]he black men and women in bondage in America must be freed." Woolman believed all life precious and deserving of freedom. As a young boy, he took the freedom of life from another creature and was haunted by it.
On his way to the home of a neighbor, he spied a robin on her nest. Being curious, he approached. The mother robin flew off darting everywhere in protection of her young.
Woolman began throwing rocks at her, eventually, striking and killing her. Excitement--horror--pain--arose in Woolman as he took joy in his marksmanship--shook in fear of the life he
took--and hurt for the young that would surely die without the care of their mother. So, he climbed the tree and took the life of the young robins feeling this to be the more merciful measure. For hours, he was unable to think of anything other than the horrifying exploits of the day. Woolman's, convictions bore heavy on all his decisions from that day forward.
Woolman chose the writing of legal documents and merchandising as his career. Hearing the talk of buying and selling men and women, no matter what color, bore heavy on Woolman's mind and he found himself often in prayer for guidance. One day his boss came to him for the writing of a legal document. It involved a slave the shop-owner had sold. This troubled him; but obligated by duty, to his employer, he executed the bill.
Being deeply disturbed in conscience, he revealed to his employer and the buyer "that . . . slavekeeping . . . be a practice inconsistent with the Christian religion." With this action, Woolman began his gentle, movement for the cause of the Negroes, in the writing of his first essay, "Some Considerations on the Keeping of Negroes." Although this writing would not be published until after his father's death, Woolman began dedicating his life to the cause of the blacks. Days before Woolman's father died, in 1750, he asked his son if he had yet considered submitting his manuscript to the Overseers of the Press. Woolman responded with this statement: "I have all along been deeply affected with the oppression of the poor Negroes, and now at last my concern for them is as great as ever."
Though Woolman at times was not able to perform his duties--he always excused himself in a manner of politeness, respectfulness and consideration of his fellow man. In search of a method to ease his mind, he took to the road with a fellow friend. Woolman felt if he visited other members of the Quaker society, he could make them aware of their disgraceful sins thus helping to ease the pain of the cause he was dedicated to.
Through these travels though he found his heart saddened even more by the number of Friends who kept blacks. Some for labor, some for pleasure and some importing blacks for profit. Feeling distressed of mind they returned home. Soon after his return, home an elderly man, respected in the community, approached Woolman. This man desired Woolman to write his will.
Knowing this man kept slaves, Woolman spoke with him concerning their treatment. The man told him they were to go to his son. Woolman said, "I cannot write thy will without breaking my own peace!" The man accepted and had someone else write it. Some years later, the same man returned with changes to be made in his will. Woolman again spoke to the man and refused to write the will. The man then left, but before going to far returned to Woolman and ordered the blacks freedom written into his will. Woolman agreed and executed the document.
Woolman believed all men, regardless of color or position, are equal in the eyes of God and should be equal in the eyes of man. He also believed no man should support a cause he felt wrong. One evening when approached by a justice of the peace, concerning the paying of taxes, Woolman commented in this manner: "Men put in public stations are intended for good purposes, some to make good laws, others to take care that those laws are not broken. Now if those men thus set apart do not answer the design of their institution, [they are] . . . freely contributing to support them in that capacity [sic] when we certainly know that they are wrong is to strengthen them in a wrong way and tends to make them forget . . . when . . . we are . . . uneasy with the application of money, and in the spirit of meekness suffer distress to be made on our goods rather than to pay actively, this joined with an upright uniform life may tend to put men a thinking about their own public conduct . . . Civil government is an agreement of free men by which they oblige themselves to abide by certain laws as a standard, and to refuse to obey in that case is of like nature as to refuse to do any particular act which we had covenanted to do . . . should a man make such a commitment unto another man to totally obey and said man chose to disobey the law and enjoined you to help, being promised to him would only add "one evil to another; that though by such promise I should be liable to punishment for disobedience, yet to suffer rather than act to me appears most virtuous.""
Woolman considered the matters of civil society to be an infectious pestilence and while some rules approved in civil society and conformable to human policy, so called, are distinguishable from the purity of truth and righteousness . . . it is a time for us to attend diligently to the intent of every chastisement and consider the most deep and inward design of them. Putting aside, the keeping of slaves for any reason was always on Woolman's mind.
John Woolman wrote three major essays and a journal. The essays are entitled: "Some Considerations on the Keeping of Negroes," "Considerations on Keeping Negroes: Part Second" and "A Plea for the Poor". His journal is simply, "The Journal of John Woolman." He was like Henry David Thoreau, who followed many years later, in that the similarities of their lives and
their strong religious and moral beliefs set the path they would follow through life. One thing Woolman maintained through his life was his religion: When Woolman had outgrown his failing culture and become a sojourner with his family, he held onto something never letting go of it while Thoreau in the end desperately lost because he let go and Woolman held on. To the finish Woolman's religion worked for him, Thoreau's failed.
John Woolman, Quaker, lover of mankind, forgotten by those he rose up so vehemently to protect and fight for, will live on. His work inspired many and found its way into many hands. Some recognize his influence some do not. Some of the civil disobedience actions taking place daily across this land would never have been if it had not been for John Woolman the gentle Quaker. One fact that is clear is Woolman opened the door for today's civil rights movement. This humble man lived, breathed, and shared the love of God and the love for all mankind, red, yellow, white or black. A man who may have moved this country with, as much or more intensity than Martin Luther King, James Baldwin or Jesse Jackson, John Woolman is "A Man for All Souls."
Works Referenced:
Burwell, Basil. "A Man for All Souls." American Heritage.
New York: American Heritage, Dec. 1971.
Cady, Edwin H. John Woolman: The Mind of the Quaker Saint.
New York: Washington Square, 1966.
Marietta, Jack D. The Reformation of American Quakerism,
1748-1783. Philadelphia: U of Pennsylvania P, 1984.
Marty, Martin E. Pilgrims in Their Own Land: 500 Years of
Religion in America. Boston: Little, 1984.
Moulton, Phillips P., ed. The Journal and Major Essays of
John Woolman. New York: Oxford UP, 1971.
Woolman, John. "The Journal of John Woolman: 1720-1742."
Moulton 23-33.
---. "The Journal of John Woolman: 1749-1756." Moulton 44-
51.
---. "The Journal of John Woolman: 1755-1756." Moulton 90-
93.
---. "The Journal of John Woolman: 1758-1759." Moulton 104-
105.
---. "Considerations on Keeping Negroes: Part Second."
Moulton 212-13.
