They were one of the earliest people to believe in equality for any race, they also fought and pretty much came up with the idea that all children needed to learn to read and write at least. These ideas were very progressive for the early years of the United States.
As a primary Quaker belief is that all human beings are equal and worthy of respect, the fight for human rights has also extended to many other areas of society. In the early days Quaker views toward women were remarkably progressive, and by the 19th century many Quakers were active in the movement for women's rights.
