The Fearless Benjamin Lay: The Quaker Dwarf Who Became the First Revolutionary Abolitionist

Rediker (Outlaws of the Atlantic), professor of Atlantic history at the University of Pittsburgh, successfully rescues Lay from obscurity, arguing that the adventurous, single-minded Quaker was one of the abolition movement’s forebears. Living in a pre–Revolutionary War era during which Quakers owned slaves, England-born Lay used his impressive oratorical command of Scripture and a penchant for big gestures to shock and berate Christians of multiple denominations into opposing slavery. Quaker records express their leaders’ befuddlement regarding their “wayward” member; Lay’s own controversial and unconventional book—which Benjamin Franklin quietly published—shows Lay’s undiminished devotion to his cause. Rediker adroitly describes nuances of the Quaker faith’s evolution, with Lay’s anti-materialist beliefs and refusal to adhere to church hierarchy evocative of the sect’s early years. While the emphasis is on abolition and Lay’s difficulties with fellow Quakers, Rediker also describes how Lay’s marriage to a fellow minister, Sarah, strengthened his resolve. Lay’s significant experience as a sailor and traveler added greater insight into the horrific conditions of slaves in Barbados and the Colonies, which he described in his frequent verbal barrages. Though the Quaker Comet was known for his impatience and stridency, his revolutionary beliefs regarding abolition, vegetarianism, gender equality, and simplicity prove that Lay’s farsightedness and extensive advocacy deserve to be remembered. Illus. (Sept.)