George Fox was an English mystic, preacher, and theologian who lived from 1624 to 1691. He is best known as the founder of the Religious Society of Friends, a group commonly referred to as the Quakers. Born in Leicestershire, he traveled extensively throughout Britain and eventually to North America and the Low Countries to spread his unique religious views. Despite facing frequent imprisonment and persecution from the authorities for his uncompromising faith, he remained a central figure in the development of the Quaker movement.