Quaker Women & Quilts
Historically, Quakers are known as having been much more progressive than their contemporaries when it comes to women’s rights. Quakers shared the belief that men and women were all equal in the eyes of God - an unusual conviction that compelled Quakers to play important roles in the women’s rights movements in the late 18th to mid 19th century. Yet despite their long-held values of equality amongst men and women, Quaker women had little place in the professional sphere beyond their responsibilities in the church. As Quaker women have pushed the boundaries of their traditional roles in American society, they have formed charity organizations, utilizing needlework and quilting in order to provide an opportunity for work and autonomy for other women.
Since most women in America knew how to make quilts during the 18th and 19th centuries, they were an important part of Quaker women’s influence in charity. One of Philadelphia’s most prominent Quaker philanthropists, Anne Parrish, founded the Female Society for the Relief and Poor in 1795. Established with the help of 23 other Quaker women, the Female Society was the first charity in Pennsylvania, and possibly the whole country, to have been organized and run solely by women. They recognized that following the height of Philadelphia’s Yellow Fever epidemic in 1793, issues of poverty and unemployment, especially among widows and orphans, needed to be addressed. They distributed their resources and help indiscriminately, and withheld judgment regarding a person’s situation. Among the many ways that the Female Society contributed to the betterment of the recovering Philadelphia region was their donations of quilts and rugs.
1844 House of Industry Signature Quilt
Quaker quilts have evolved into their own category to reflect particular aspects of Quaker values, and are characterized as block patterns with each square displaying unique needlework and star, leaf, and flower motifs. Upon closer inspection, the signatures of the 76 women who sewed this are visible.
Visit ASMH to view this incredible piece of Quaker history!
A year after the Female Society was established, Parrish also founded the Aimwell School in her own home, purposed towards providing education for poor girls. To ensure equitable education, the school required no tuition funds and ran on donations and a volunteer faculty of primarily women. Needlework was so important that it was a part of all girls’ curriculum in school. Sewing was incorporated into many lessons where Quaker education was rooted in a strong foundation of moral principles. Young women learned to make samplers, which were pieces of fabric with Roman-style alphabets, numbers, and decorative motifs etched into them to demonstrate proficiency with a needle and embroidering. Moreover, it gave women, often widows of good standing, the opportunity to be employed as sewing teachers or schoolmistresses.
The Female Society did focus most of their efforts towards helping widows and orphans, however, they extended their help to any Philadelphians in need, no matter their race, gender, or nationality. Many men, even if they supported their cause, expressed disapproval for the single women’s involvement with other men, non-Quakers, and people of color. Yet, it was never clear whether these Quaker women were aware of their progressive actions. The Quaker belief that God called on both women and men had pushed them to provide for their city.
Later, in 1798, the Female Society would open the House of Industry to employ women to make rugs, quilts, and clothes. The goods that were produced were donated to other struggling inhabitants of the Philadelphia area. Quilts had practical uses like warmth and bedding, but as the art of quilting expanded from purely functional to also being decorative and elaborate, they achieved larger significance in American culture and held the ability to engage with and represent different parts of society. As younger women created these historic products, older women, who were typically unable to sew, volunteered to cook, babysit and doctor for the workers. Workers were provided with meals and major significance came from the fact that this was the first time in the United States that working women were offered child care.
Though change and progress were made through Quaker needlework, textiles, and charity, women’s roles in society were not completely revolutionized at this point. While innovative, establishing the House of Industry never directly challenged the societal system that did not allow for women to support their families, outside of employment by other women. It was the first time that solely women had formed a charity organization in Pennsylvania, and handled business and monetary relations independently from their male counterparts, and yet still confined women to an extension of their “caregiver” role in society. Additionally, the leading organizers of the Female Society were largely young, unmarried women. Many leaders in the Female Society stepped down for younger Quaker women to take over after they were married, and were expected to fulfill other roles, such as being a wife and a mother.
Nevertheless, many Quaker samplers and quilts are displayed in museums today to serve as a reminder of the ways that Quaker women have disregarded societal norms in order to help their communities. Samplers and quilts, traditionally made for practical purposes, were transformed to gain larger cultural significance. Being the first of its kind, the House of Industry was one of the only circumstances that granted women the ability to provide for themselves and their children. Here at Arch Street Meeting House, an authentic quilt is on exhibit, made by Anne Parrish and other members of the Female Society in 1844. Signed by 76 women, the House of Industry Quilt was made as a gift to Ann Burns, the first and beloved house matron. Come visit to witness firsthand a part of this history!
Written by Amelia Jeoung.
Works Cited
Aimwell School (Philadelphia, Pa.), and Society for the Free Instruction of Females. (Philadelphia Pa.). “Aimwell School Records.” Collection: Aimwell School Records | Archives & Manuscripts, archives.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/resources/hcmc-1183.
Benjamin, P. S. (1976). Quaker Women and Social Feminism. In The Philadelphia Quakers in the Industrial Age, 1865-1920 (pp. 145–149). essay, Temple University Press.
Female Society of Philadelphia for the Relief and Employment of the Poor, and Anne Parrish. “The Female Society of Philadelphia for the Relief and Employment of the Poor Records.” Collection: The Female Society of Philadelphia for the Relief and Employment of the Poor Records | Archives & Manuscripts, archives.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/resources/__1234.
Haviland, Margaret Morris. “Beyond Women's Sphere: Young Quaker Women and the Veil of Charity in Philadelphia, 1790-1810.” The William and Mary Quarterly, vol. 51, no. 3, 1994, pp. 419–446. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2947437. Accessed 14 July 2021.
Female Society of Philadelphia for the Relief and Employment of the Poor, and Anne Parrish. “The Female Society of Philadelphia for the Relief and Employment of the Poor Records.” Collection: The Female Society of Philadelphia for the Relief and Employment of the Poor Records | Archives & Manuscripts, archives.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/resources/__1234.