Podcast Summary: SYMHC Classics: Public Universal Friend

Podcast: Stuff You Missed in History Class
Hosts: Tracy V. Wilson & Holly Frey
Date: November 29, 2025 (original episode: June 8, 2020)
Main Theme:
An in-depth exploration of the life, identity, and religious movement built around the Public Universal Friend, a genderless spiritual figure born Jemima Wilkinson, who rose to prominence in post-Revolutionary War America.

Overview

This episode offers a nuanced historical examination of the Public Universal Friend (PUF), a religious leader who, after a near-fatal illness in 1776, began living as a genderless prophet and rejected their birth name (Jemima Wilkinson). The hosts explore the complex issues of identity, gender, spirituality, and community-building, their intersection with early American history, and the Friend’s place in both religious and LGBTQ history.

Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. Approach to Names and Pronouns

Timestamps: 02:37–04:19

• Respecting Historical Context:
  The hosts explain the deliberate approach to pronouns and names, emphasizing respect for the Friend’s self-identification and the challenges this presents for historians:

  "The Friend didn't answer to the name of Jemima Wilkinson, and we won't use that name when we're talking about the Friend. But Jemima was still an important part of this story, who we can't simply omit." (Tracy, 03:59)

• Subjective Challenges:
  Most references struggle to accurately depict the Friend's self-identification, with sources inconsistently using "he," "she," or modern non-gendered pronouns.

2. Early Life as Jemima Wilkinson

Timestamps: 04:19–08:54

• Born November 29, 1752, in Cumberland, Rhode Island, to a prominent Quaker family.
• Grew up during a period of religious division and political tension preceding the American Revolution.
• Noted for intelligence, a passion for reading, and a deep self-taught knowledge of Quaker theology.

3. Spiritual Crisis and Transformation

Timestamps: 08:54–10:40

• Disowned from the Society of Friends (Quakers) in August 1776 after persistently challenging societal and religious norms.
• Became gravely ill on October 4, 1776, with what was possibly typhus (“Columbus Fever”).
• Following recovery, announced that Jemima Wilkinson had died and their body was now inhabited by a "genderless religious and spiritual figure" sent by God.

4. The Emergence of the Public Universal Friend

Timestamps: 14:28–17:45

• Vision & Calling:
  • “The heavens were opened and she saw two archangels descending... bringing a sealed pardon from the living God.” (Tracy quotes source materials, 14:28)
  • The Friend claimed a divine mission to warn the world and invite “the lost sheep of the house of Israel to come home.” (Holly, 15:04)
• New Identity & Appearance:
  • Refused all gendered pronouns; followers similarly avoided gendered references even in private writings.
  • Adopted clothing and mannerisms blending masculine, feminine, and clerical elements.
  • Outsiders variously described the Friend’s clothing, voice, and appearance as “neither masculine or feminine” or combining both.

5. Teachings and Ministry

Timestamps: 17:45–25:07

• Blended Quaker, New Light Baptist, and mystical teachings.
• Stressed:
  • Equality among people (including gender equality)
  • Pacifism and abolitionism.
  • Spiritual rather than institutional authority.
  • Encouragement (not requirement) of celibacy.
  • Warnings of an imminent apocalypse (predicted: April 1, 1780).
• The Friend quickly attracted a devoted following, including prominent figures like Judge William Potter.

"The Friend preached on ideas of equality among all people, as well as being pacifist and abolitionist, and believed that women should obey God rather than men." (Holly, 18:47)

6. Growth and Challenges of the Society of Universal Friends

Timestamps: 25:07–26:45

• The Friend’s ministry expanded regionally, especially after wealthy supporter Judge William Potter donated resources and his home.

• Developed structured meeting houses and published religious advice, including guidance for worship.

• Internal Schisms & External Criticism:

  • Departures and exposés by disgruntled followers (notably Abner Brownell) led to suspicion and public derision, especially concerning the Friend’s gender and celibacy teachings.
  • Persistent rumors, accusations of spying, and even plagiarism scandals (accusations of plagiarizing Quaker writers).

7. Move to Western New York and Efforts at Communal Living

Timestamps: 30:46–36:59

• The Society sought refuge on the “frontier” in what is now western New York in the Finger Lakes region, though this area had recently been seized from the Seneca Nation.
• Attempted true collective landholding, though legal realities forced them into an apportioned ownership model.
• By 1790, they formed the largest white settlement in western New York, with households often headed by women.

8. Community Conflicts, Legal Battles, and Legacy

Timestamps: 36:59–41:17

• Persistent internal conflict over land ownership, especially after members like Judge Potter used legal technicalities to profit from communal lands.
• Prolonged litigation and family betrayals surrounding the wills of close followers (notably Sarah Richards/Rachel Mallon).
• 1799–1800: Blasphemy charges brought (and ultimately dropped) as part of wider efforts to discredit the Friend.
• After the Friend’s death (July 1, 1819), lawsuits and false, libelous biographies (notably by David Hudson) further distorted the public memory of their life.

"Unfortunately, the untruths in Hudson's book were then repeated in other sources over the years, and over time, the most outlandish rumors and accusations became part of the lore surrounding the Friend." (Tracy, 40:20)

9. Final Years, Death, and Historical Significance

Timestamps: 38:32–41:17

• The Friend retreated from public ministry after legal troubles in the late 1790s, dying in 1819.
• Faithful to the end in supporting society’s poor, as dictated in the will.
• Despite decades of scandal and myth, the universal Friends’ community persisted into the mid-19th century.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Gender & Identity:

  "The Friend sincerely believed that Jemima Wilkinson was a different living person who had died, and that God had chosen to send a genderless, celestial being to dwell in Jemima's resurrected body..." (Tracy, 03:37)

• On Reputation:

  "Detractors were inordinately focused on what kind of undergarments the Friend wore, what their voice sounded like, and whether there was something sexually licentious going on within the Society of Universal Friends, which, as we said earlier, encouraged celibacy." (Tracy, 26:09)

• On Land Conflicts:

  "Judge William Potter, for example, who we talked about earlier, made about $40,000 profit selling land that other people were actually living on." (Tracy, 35:15)

• On Historical Mythmaking:

  "[Hudson's] book should be considered properly not as a biography of Jemima Wilkinson, but as part of the campaign to get her land by discrediting her aims and aspersing her followers." (Tracy quoting Herbert Whisby, 40:20)

Important Timestamps for Key Segments

• Handling Pronouns & Naming: 02:37–04:19
• Religious Transformation & Divine Calling: 08:54–10:40, 14:28–15:34
• Public Universal Friend’s Appearance & Identity: 15:34–17:45
• Society's Teachings & Growth: 18:47–24:33
• Move to New York & Land Issues: 30:46–35:53
• Legal Conflicts & Death: 37:47–39:54

Tone and Style

At once compassionate, meticulous, and scholarly, Tracy and Holly approach the Friend’s complex life with both respect for historical accuracy and sensitivity to contemporary understanding of gender and religious experience. The episode is careful not to project current perspectives onto the past, while still drawing meaningful connections to modern conversations about identity and belonging.

Conclusion

This episode offers an intricate portrait of a unique American religious leader and community that has echoed through both spiritual and LGBTQ histories. Through careful research and thoughtful narration, the hosts illuminate the complexity of the Friend’s life, teachings, and enduring legacy—and demonstrate how quickly myth and misrepresentation can overtake historical fact.