Prior to 1756 the leadership of the party was drawn from the Society of Friends, but this control began to be challenged by a split in the party, between those who held to the traditionally pacifist views of the Quakers and those who felt such principles were inconsistent with the demands of government. This split came to a head in 1755, with the beginning of the French-Indian War, where the pacifist Quakers, now a minority in the assembly, were mostly forced to resign and be replaced by churchmen of the Party. The consequence of this was the Society of Friends losing the leadership of the party, with previously unaffiliated individuals including Benjamin Franklin joining the party and taking up leadership roles.