In 1776, after recovering from a serious fever, Jemima Wilkinson claimed to have died and been revived in a new form, neither male nor female. They left behind their old name and life and began preaching as the “Public Universal Friend,” or simply the Friend. The Friend’s theology was similar to that of most Quakers, and was especially rooted in the belief that all humans had free will. As they began preaching throughout New England, they gained a group of followers, who called themselves the Society of Universal Friends. The…
