Quakers first organized their local gatherings for worship into regional clusters called "yearly meetings." In Europe the first yearly meetings were in England (London) and Ireland (Dublin). In the colonies, the yearly meetings of Philadelphia, New York, North Carolina, and New England came into being. With the westward migrations of the nineteenth century, new groups became established across America.

William Penn's colony in the New World is the most widely known example of colonial Christian outreach. For seventy years the Quakers sought to make Pennsylvania a society embodying Christian values. The colony became a haven for oppressed persons and an example of respectful relationships with the Indian nations. But the French and Indian War brought such pressures to compromise their convictions that in 1755 the Quakers relinquished control of the colony.

A retreat from worldly affairs followed, marked by plain dress, silent worship, moral scrupulosity, and rigorous church discipline. Although their evangelistic outreach diminished, their social concerns did not. In their persistent and effective opposition to slavery, John Woolman of America and William Allen of England illustrate the period at its best.

In the westward migrations the colonizing tendency persisted until twentieth century urbanization changed the pattern. Quaker centers were reinforced by the establishment of schools, the preservation of a distinctive lifestyle, and a strong sense of community. These communities sustained ethical standards but tended to isolate members from spiritual renewals around them.