ABSTRACT
The Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as the Quakers, grew in England in the mid-seventeenth century and spread to Wales, Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands, Germany, and the American colonies. After an initial period of expansion, the Quakers became concentrated in the English speaking countries, with the largest number in the United States. In the twentieth century, Quakers of an evangelical bent established the group in Africa and Latin America, where it has grown considerably. There are also small Quaker meetings in many countries of Europe and Asia.
