Essay Questions

What, according to Woolman, are the main differences between Puritanism and Quakerism?

Ever heard someone call somebody "Puritanical" because they are advocating a practice that is uncomfortable or miserable? Puritans tended to feel that life was supposed to be difficult, because they believed that God is really rather judgmental; He gets annoyed with us alot, and is vengeful when his earthly flock transgress. Woolman writes about his own view of God, which is that of the Quaker faith. He believes in a gentle, loving and nurturing God, who is kind, and whose gentle hand guides his flock when they are struggling. He believes that he is able to have a personal relationship with God, and that though him, God's light will shine; Quakers believe that this is possible for everyone.

Woolman wrestles with his conscience for a long time before becoming one of the first Abolitionists. How does he come to his anti-slavery stance?

Woolman at first believed that slavery was acceptable as long as the slaves were kept in humane conditions. He had witnessed both friends who had slaves towards whom they were benevolent, generous and fair. He had also witnessed the actions of friends who kept their slaves like yard animals. He justified slavery to himself by choosing to see a difference between the two types of slave owner, believing keeping a slave well was acceptable and keeping a slave that one mistreated was wrong.

This all changed when he was called upon to be the equivalent of a notary during the sale of a slave by one of his friends. The reality of the slave trade hit home to him and he came to realize that regardless of the way in which the slave was kept, selling a person was wrong. He became adamant about this and following his conscience, as soon as he realized that slavery was wrong wanted to work hard towards ending it.Although much of his opinion on this was kept to himself in his journal, and therefore only revealed posthumously, it nonetheless positioned him as one of the first abolitionists, and gave him great influence even after his death, because his writings influenced the Quaker movement and they ultimately changed their position on slavery, coming out against it.