The non-binary preacher who 'rose from the dead,' led a rebellion and predicted the end of the world. The America 250 story NO ONE saw coming

By NINA SANKOVITCH FOR THE DAILY MAIL Published: 21:57, 4 July 2026 | Updated: 21:59, 4 July 2026 In the same year the Declaration of Independence was signed, a young woman in Rhode Island named Jemima Wilkinson fell gravely ill. Of all the Wilkinson girls, Jemima seemed the least likely to succumb to the diseases that passed regularly through colonial towns and villages. Her sister Deborah had been the sickly one since birth, and Amy also suffered from bad health. But Jemima’s health and outlook had always been good. But now, at the age of 23, she lay on her sickbed, weakened and thin, her body barely raising a bump in the cloth that covered her. It was as if all the fat and muscle had burned off her bones, raising her temperature, clouding the usual clarity of her thoughts. For five days, she lay like this, feverish and restless, slipping in and out of troubled sleep. Then, early in the morning of October 9, she seemed on the precipice of a crisis. Struggling to sit up, she looked wildly around. In a hoarse voice, she spoke of seeing ‘celestial beings floating by her bedside.’ As night fell, her father must have begun to think about the funeral he would have to plan for his daughter. But the next morning, the patient who had been so close to death sat up straight in bed. She described to her family what had happened to her in those dark hours of illness. Jemima fell ill at the age of 23 and many feared she wouldn't survive the fever The America 250 celebrations mark the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence ‘Archangels descending from the east, with golden crowns upon their heads’ had brought to the dying young woman a message of universal salvation: ‘Room, Room, Room, in the Many mansions of eternal glory for Thee and for everyone.’ The angels told Jemima she had been chosen by God to house a ‘Spirit of Life... [which] was waiting to assume the Body which God had prepared for the Spirit to dwell in.’ With Jemima’s body serving as the ‘tabernacle’ for the waiting spirit, the angels explained, the reborn Jemima would carry God’s message of universal redemption to ‘the lost and the guilty, perishing dying world.’ In the days that followed, Jemima claimed to be a non-gendered messenger sent by God, rejecting the name given at birth and choosing to dress in genderless clothing, with the head bare of hat or scarf, and hair pulled back but loose on the shoulders. Taking the name Universal Friend, the newly minted non-binary minister founded a religious sect based on equality, opportunity and community. Hundreds of followers joined, drawn like moths to the light of this minister, who dressed so strangely in long, dark robes but spoke so eloquently about humankind’s role on earth and potential for bliss in the hereafter. Friend believed in and fought for the promises made in the Declaration of Independence, and was the first American to fulfill those promises in the years following America’s founding. And yet most Americans today have no idea who they were or what they accomplished. Why did so many colonists rise up to fight against England? Men and women of all classes, whites and also black colonists (both free and enslaved) put their lives on the line to win independence because they hoped that, in victory, the leaders of their new nation would deliver on the promises made in the Declaration of Independence: the rights of self-determination, liberty from oppression, and the chance to pursue happiness. But after the war ended, the pendulum that had swung radically forward for independence now swung back to conserve the political and social rights of white men of means. Voting rights remained tied to property, women were largely disenfranchised, along with the poor. Slavery became further entrenched, and British common law which governed the rights of married women – basically, they didn’t have any – survived in the new laws for a new country. In contrast, Universal Friend preached that all people are worthy in God’s eyes, no matter their race or gender, and that every single human being is deserving – and capable – of deciding the trajectory of his or her (or their) life for themselves. Friend reminded followers: ‘Hath we not all one Father? Hath not one God created us?’ and further proclaimed that every human born ‘came perfect and pure from God.’ Recognizing the inherent dignity of every human being, Friend required followers to release all their enslaved workers, some of whom then joined the sect themselves. Leadership roles in the Society of Universal Friends (the name adopted by the sect) were not determined by race or gender but instead went to those followers who showed talent for preaching and organizing. Women stepped up to serve as preachers and administrators. And while Friend stressed the importance of repenting of one’s sins on earth to achieve eternal happiness, the minister also believed that God – the 'God of love' – wanted his people to experience joy on earth as well: 'While thou are most happy… thou dost him most honor.' Celibacy was not required, but some followers chose to refrain from sex. And Friend preached that women should 'obey God rather than men.' The minister also prophesied that Judgment Day would be on or around April 1, 1790. But, while the world continued turning, many believed God had granted them a reprieve thanks to the intercessions of Friend.  After the war ended, however, hostility towards the minister and the popular new sect started to grow. Negative press described male members of the Society as ‘eunuchs’ and all Friend’s followers were portrayed as ‘ravening wolves’ in ‘sheep’s clothing,’ while Universal Friend was branded ‘the devil in petticoats.’ To protect the sect, Universal Friend encouraged followers to escape from civilization and guided them to what was then the western frontier of the United States, the Finger Lakes region of New York. The preacher took on a genderless identity, wore long, dark robes and no hat Followers of the sect eventually settled in the Finger Lakes - on land that became fiercely fought over There, they founded settlements where the self–evident truths set forth in the Declaration of Independence – that ‘all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness’ – became reality. Men and women, white and black, lived freely as equal members of these communities, empowered to make decisions for themselves about how to organize their lives, their finances, and their living arrangements. Not all residents of the settlements attended Friend’s religious meetings: they were not required to. Nor did Universal Friend impose rules regarding how followers had to live, eat, work, or dress, or behave (unlike other contemporary sects, such as the Shakers). All kinds of households – single women, mixed families, and two–parent families – lived and worked side by side, pursuing their individual dreams and upholding the mutual ideals of the Society. In Friend’s own home, a diverse group of men and women, along with children (including some orphans), lived together, each with their own defined role in the household. Chloe Towerhill, formerly enslaved, lived with Friend until the minister died and then stayed in the home until her own death. Henry Barnes, who came to live with Friend as a child, became the resident expert maple tree tapper: one year, he tapped 636 trees in one day. Lucy Brown, a single woman, lived close–by on land the minister had given her: with her own hands, she built a home and started a cheese–making business. The settlements founded by Friend flourished for decades: they were economically stable, socially progressive, and, by all accounts, respected and lauded by their neighbors, including Native Americans. But a snake came into the Eden built by Universal Friend. A disgruntled group of male followers, all of whom had previously celebrated Friend’s divine and non-gendered status, began to chafe at being led by a person they now saw as 'a deluded woman.' Friend believed in and fought for the promises made in the Declaration of Independence, yet many Americans today have no idea who they were  Friend created a home in which a diverse group of men and women, along with children (including some orphans), lived together, each with their own defined role  A plaque marks the spot where the Universal Friend lived and preached in the Finger Lakes region The change of heart was fueled by their desire for profit and power. The property values of the lands on which the sect had settled were skyrocketing as Americans looked for new frontiers to develop. Seeking to claim the Society’s vast land holdings for themselves, these fractious followers began a campaign of harassment, violence, and intimidation. They brought legal actions to drive their neighbors off their farms and sought to have their former minister imprisoned for blasphemy. The blasphemy case was heard in a newly built county courthouse before a panel of three judges. But before the case could be tried, the judges first they had to determine whether, in this new country of the United States, with its laws granting freedom of speech and of religion, blasphemy could still be considered a crime. After deliberating, they ruled that blasphemy was no longer an indictable offense in America. They threw out the case against Universal Friend, and the minister was free to go.  Before leaving, however, they delivered an impromptu sermon to the courtroom. While what Friend preached is not recorded, one of the Judge’s comments on it was: Judge Lewis declared: 'We have heard good counsel, and if we live in harmony with what that woman has told us, we shall be sure to be good people and reach a final rest in heaven.' The judge may not have recognized Friend’s non–binary status, but he did recognize their wisdom. The land claims brought against Universal Friend and followers would also eventually be decided on the side of the Society and against those who had sought to usurp its minister. Unfortunately, that victory occurred after the death of Universal Friend in 1819, at the age of 66. Excerpted from Not Your Founding Father – How a Nonbinary Minister Became America's Most Radical Revolutionary by Nina Sankovitch, published by Simon & Schuster No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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