Friends of Freedom
Based on true stories.
by Sally Latham-Lawrence
From Prison to Parliament: The Seeds of Liberty
Set amid the turmoil of 17th-century England, Friends of Freedom traces the courage of religious dissenters who set out to reshape the nation’s conscience. While heads of state and their cabinets worked to preserve an ancient power structure that used excessive tithes to finance lavish churches, universities, and hospitals, these humble visionaries suffered regular imprisonments and were too-often silenced. Yet through dogged perseverance they laid the groundwork for ideas destined to outlast them: freedom of conscience, equality before the law, and the right to worship without fear. Their quiet defiance inspired the English Bill of Rights and, within another century, the principles enshrined in the American Bill of Rights.
Prologue: A Boy Without A Family
An orphan who refused the work house, as well as the orphan gangs. Young Tom knows nothing but avoidance and self-preservation. But when the first of the Quaker sufferings takes place before his eyes, he sees a choice: exchanging a life of fear for one of courage.
Chapter 1: Friends Against a Kingdom
Before the colonies had worked out their independence, while the monarchy was yet dethroned, the records tell us nine-year-old Thomas Lightfoot set out with George Whitehead, a seventeen-year-old who preached dangerous truths. One was destined to stand before kings; the other to sow a lasting legacy.
But first: prison.
Friends of Freedom 