Jemima Wilkinson Survives Near-Death Experience After Vision of Angels

In the year the Declaration of Independence was signed, a young woman in Rhode Island named Jemima Wilkinson collapsed under a sudden, severe illness. Among the Wilkinson sisters, Jemima stood out as the healthiest; her sister Deborah had been frail since birth, and Amy struggled with poor health, yet Jemima remained robust. At age 23, however, she lay on a sickbed, wasting away until her body seemed skeletal beneath her covers. For five days, fever and restlessness kept her in a twilight of troubled sleep.

On the morning of October 9, she teetered on the edge of death. Struggling to sit up, she gazed wildly around her room and spoke in a hoarse voice about "celestial beings floating by her bedside." By nightfall, her father likely began planning her funeral. But the next morning, the patient who had nearly died sat upright in bed. She recounted her experience from those dark hours to her family.

Angels descending from the east, crowned in gold, had brought her a message of universal salvation: "Room, Room, Room, in the Many mansions of eternal glory for Thee and for everyone." They told her that God had chosen her to house a "Spirit of Life" waiting to assume a body prepared by the divine. With her body serving as the "tabernacle" for this spirit, the reborn Jemima would carry God's message of redemption to a "lost and the guilty, perishing dying world."

In the days that followed, Jemima declared herself a non-gendered messenger sent by God. She rejected her birth name, adopted genderless clothing, removed her hat or scarf, and let her hair fall loose on her shoulders. Taking the name Universal Friend, she founded a religious sect built on equality, opportunity, and community. Hundreds of followers flocked to her, drawn by the minister who wore long, dark robes yet spoke eloquently about humanity's role on earth and the potential for bliss in the afterlife.

The Universal Friend championed the promises made in the Declaration of Independence. She became the first American to fulfill those promises in the years following the nation's founding. Yet, most Americans today know nothing of her identity or her achievements.

Why did so many colonists rise against England? Men and women of all classes, both white and Black—free and enslaved—risked their lives to win independence, hoping their new nation's leaders would deliver on the Declaration's promises: self-determination, freedom from oppression, and the chance to pursue happiness. After the war ended, however, the momentum shifted. The pendulum that had swung forward for independence swung back to protect the political and social rights of wealthy white men, erasing the contributions of figures like the Universal Friend.

In the era surrounding the nation's founding, voting rights remained inextricably linked to property ownership, effectively disenfranchising women and the poor. Slavery became deeply entrenched, and British common law, which denied married women any legal standing, persisted in the statutes of the new republic. This systemic exclusion stood in stark contrast to the philosophy of the Universal Friend, who preached that all individuals possess inherent worth in the eyes of God, regardless of race or gender. The Friend asserted that every human being is deserving and capable of directing their own life's trajectory.

Reminding followers that "Hath we not all one Father? Hath not one God created us?", the minister proclaimed that every person "came perfect and pure from God." This recognition of inherent dignity led the Friend to mandate the release of all enslaved workers, with some subsequently joining the sect. Within the Society of Universal Friends, leadership roles were not allocated based on race or gender but were instead assigned to those demonstrating talent in preaching and organization. Consequently, women stepped forward to serve as preachers and administrators. While the minister emphasized repentance for eternal happiness, he also believed that the "God of love" desired his people to experience joy in the present, stating, "While thou are most happy… thou dost him most honor."

Celibacy was not a requirement, though some followers voluntarily refrained from sexual activity. The Friend further instructed women to "obey God rather than men" and prophesied that Judgment Day would occur on or around April 1, 1790. Although the world continued its course and many interpreted God's grace as a reprieve granted through the Friend's intercession, hostility toward the minister and the growing sect intensified after the war concluded. Negative press outlets described male members of the Society as "eunuchs" and depicted all followers as "ravening wolves" in "sheep's clothing," while branding the Universal Friend as "the devil in petticoats."

To safeguard the sect, the Universal Friend encouraged followers to flee civilization and migrate to the western frontier of the United States, specifically the Finger Lakes region of New York. Adopting a genderless identity and wearing long, dark robes without a hat, the preacher guided this migration. There, the settlers founded communities on land that would become fiercely contested. In these settlements, the self-evident truths of 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 a lived reality. Men and women, both white and black, lived freely as equals, empowered to make autonomous decisions regarding their lives, finances, and living arrangements. Notably, attendance at the sect's religious meetings was not mandatory for all residents of these settlements.

Unlike other religious groups of the time, the Universal Friend did not dictate strict rules for how followers must live, eat, work, or dress. This approach stood in stark contrast to sects like the Shakers.

Households of all types coexisted peacefully. Single women, mixed families, and two-parent families worked side by side while pursuing individual dreams.

In the minister's own home, men, women, and children lived together under defined roles. This group included orphans and Chloe Towerhill, a formerly enslaved woman who stayed with Friend until her death.

Henry Barnes, a boy who joined as a child, became an expert maple tapper. In one single year, he tapped 636 trees in a single day.

Lucy Brown, a single woman, received land from the minister. She built her own home and started a cheese-making business using her own hands.

These settlements remained stable for decades. They were economically sound and socially progressive. Neighbors, including Native Americans, respected and praised the Society.

However, a snake entered the Eden built by the Universal Friend.

A group of male followers turned against their leader. They had once celebrated Friend's divine and non-gendered status. Now, they viewed the minister as 'a deluded woman.'

This change of heart was driven by greed. Land values were skyrocketing as Americans sought new frontiers.

Seeking to claim the Society's vast lands for themselves, these followers began a campaign of harassment. They used violence and intimidation against their neighbors.

They filed legal actions to drive neighbors off their farms. They also sought to imprison their former minister for blasphemy.

The blasphemy case was heard in a newly built county courthouse. A panel of three judges presided over the proceedings.

Before trying the case, the judges had to decide a crucial legal question. They needed to determine if blasphemy was still a crime in the United States.

The nation had laws guaranteeing freedom of speech and religion. The judges ruled that blasphemy was no longer an indictable offense.

They threw out the case against the Universal Friend. The minister was free to go.

Before leaving, the group delivered an impromptu sermon to the courtroom. While the content of Friend's speech is not recorded, one judge offered a comment.

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. However, he clearly recognized their wisdom.

Legal battles over land claims also turned in favor of the Society. These victories came after the death of the Universal Friend in 1819. The minister died at the age of 66.

This excerpt is from the book Not Your Founding Father by Nina Sankovitch. It was published by Simon & Schuster.