As the United States prepares to mark its 250th anniversary, historical accounts are shedding new light on Jemima Wilkinson, an influential 18th-century religious leader. Wilkinson, a Rhode Island native, founded a significant religious movement that championed principles of equality and individual liberty in the nascent years of the American republic, while notably rejecting a gendered identity.
Born in 1752, Wilkinson’s life took a pivotal turn in 1776 at the age of 23. Historical records indicate that Wilkinson suffered a severe illness, characterized by a high fever and reported visions of angels, which led family members to believe the condition would prove fatal. Following a remarkable recovery, Wilkinson asserted that the original person had died and that a divine spirit had subsequently entered the body. This profound experience led Wilkinson to reject the birth name and adopt the moniker “Universal Friend,” instructing followers to refrain from using gendered pronouns when referring to them. In a further symbolic gesture of this transformed identity, the Universal Friend began to wear long robes and clothing designed to avoid association with either men or women.
The Universal Friend went on to establish the Society of Universal Friends, a religious movement that attracted hundreds of followers during the late 18th century. The movement’s core tenets included the belief that all individuals were equal before God, irrespective of race or gender, and emphasized the inherent worth of every person. A radical demand for its time, the Society required its adherents to free any enslaved people under their control. This commitment to racial equality was further demonstrated by the fact that some formerly enslaved individuals later chose to join the community themselves. The movement also broke with traditional societal norms by allowing women to assume significant leadership positions as preachers and administrators within the Society.
The Universal Friend also made a specific prophecy, predicting that Judgment Day would occur on or around April 1, 1790. When this date passed without the anticipated event, many followers interpreted the lack of incident as an act of divine intervention, sparing them, rather than abandoning their faith in the movement.
Facing increasing societal hostility and scrutiny in their original location, the Universal Friend encouraged followers to relocate. They eventually settled in what was then the western frontier of New York’s Finger Lakes region, establishing new communities founded upon the movement’s religious principles. These settlements were characterized by residents organizing their own households and businesses, with participation in religious meetings not being mandatory. The diverse communities included single women, families, formerly enslaved people, and orphans, all living together. According to historical accounts, these settlements achieved economic success and earned respect from neighboring communities, including Native American groups, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The movement later encountered legal challenges, particularly concerning land ownership, when several former followers disputed the Society’s claims. Additionally, the Universal Friend faced a blasphemy charge. However, a court ultimately dismissed the blasphemy case, ruling that such charges were no longer prosecutable under the new nation’s constitutional protections for religious liberty and free speech. While many of the property disputes were resolved in favor of the Society of Universal Friends, these decisions often came after the Universal Friend's death in 1819 at the age of 66.
Despite its significant contributions, the Universal Friend’s movement has often been overlooked in broader historical narratives of early America. Nevertheless, it stands as one of the nation’s earliest religious communities to organize explicitly around principles of racial equality, expanded roles for women, and robust religious freedom during the foundational years immediately following the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The renewed attention to figures like the Universal Friend offers a richer, more nuanced understanding of the diverse social and religious landscape of the early American republic.
