George Fox was a leader in a 17th-century Christian awakening from which came the Quaker movement (now known as the Society of Friends or the Friends Church). During civil strife between royalist and parliamentary forces, the movement spread rapidly across England and in American colonies, in spite of harassment under Commonwealth and Restoration governments that brought property loss, imprisonment, and sometimes death. By the end of the century, there were 100,000 Quakers, an American colony (Pennsylvania), and a strong public witness to Christian holiness, peace, religious freedom, participatory worship, business integrity and social justice.
Many early adherents were drawn from Seeker communities of Northern England. These Christians, disillusioned with monopolistic state religion, whether Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian, or Independent, had been meeting informally for Bible study and prayer. George Fox forcefully articulated their criticism of the institutional church for its secondhand faith, sin-excusing doctrine, hireling ministry, and compromise with political powers. People responded eagerly to his proclamation of a new Day of the Lord in which the true church is being recovered and kingdom righteousness effected through Christ's presence and power.
