While reading the Diary, it becomes apparent that Hopper along with other members of the Prison Association had a core set of values that focused on helping others. For some members, like Hopper, these beliefs came from the religious sect Quakerism. Followers of this religion are called Quakers or Friends. Four key ideas unite this group no matter the magnitude of devotion to Quakerism.

These four ideas are:

1. “the centrality of direct inward encounter with God and revelation, and thus forms of worship which allow this to be experienced…
2. a vote-less way of doing church business based on the ideas of corporate direct guidance;
3. the spiritual equality of everyone and the idea of ‘the priesthood of all believers’…
4. the preference for peace and pacifism rather than war, and a commitment to other forms of social witness.”[1]

The Quakers history originated from England in 1652. It did not take long for this movement to reach America. By 1680, 80,000 people in America were Quakers. [2] This religion attracted many people due to its very accepting values. It lacked, “any fixed leadership or spiritual hierarchy” and “the ministry open equally to men and women.”[3]

However by the 19^th century, Quakers began to split into two groups this was called the Great Separation. One group who became known as the Orthodox were, “influenced by the Evangelical Revival, who wished Quakerism to become more evangelical with greater authority placed on scripture.”[4] And the other group led by Elias Hicks was named the Hicksites, “took the interiority of Quaker spiritually to such an extreme degree as to resist anything outward, even scriptural teachings.”[5] Today, there are many different forms of Quakerism such as Buddhist-Quaker, Judaism Quaker, etc.

Hopper was a Quaker for a good majority of his life, however, due to his own personal beliefs the Quaker Society banished him twice. Hopper still continued to practice Quakerism for the rest of his life and utilized these values to help formally incarnated individuals which can be seen throughout the Diary.

[1] Pink Dandelion, The Quakers: A Very Short Introduction (New York: Oxford University Press, 2008): 2.

[2] Ibid., 19.

[3] Ibid., 20.

[4] Ibid., 27

[5] Ibid.