What’s the story?
The 1777 Quakers’ remonstrance to the government of Pennsylvania, and its wide publication and circulation by Robert Bell, demonstrates both the power and the necessity of a free press in holding the leaders of our government accountable. Known for printing revolutionary works supporting colonial independence, Robert Bell gained fame when he published Thomas Paine’s Common Sense. By September 1777, he would find an opportunity to apply theory to practice. Twenty-two Quaker men were arrested and held without charge or hearing at the Philadelphia Free Mason’s Lodge. The imprisoned Quakers were to be exiled to Virginia without due process. Suspecting they would be exiled without defense, Israel Pemberton and his fellow Quakers penned this letter to the President and Council, citing the unlawful nature of their arrest as outlined in the newly established Constitution.Bell recognized the plight of the Quaker men, as their remonstrance reflected the very message of personal liberty and release from tyranny that the Patriots claimed to fight for. He printed the first copies of the remonstrance that would circulate throughout the city. The publications reached the greater Philadelphia area, swelling support for the Quakers’ cause. Fearing the mounting public pressure, the Council permitted the return of the Quakers in April 1778. But for the efforts of Robert Bell, the Quakers may never have returned home. Twelve years later, James Madison would draft an amendment that would enshrine protections for publishers like Bell as he endeavored to hold leaders accountable through the exercise of a free press.
This interpretation was written by Sarah A. Rostien, as part of Rosenbach Museum & Library’s spring 2026 course “The Curator’s Toolkit.”
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theme: Power of Placesubjects: Society of Friends; Conscientious objectors; Revolution, 1775-1783
contributing repository: Rosenbach Museum & Library
submitted by: Sarah A. Rostien
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