Reviews
Paul B. Moyer deftly tells the compelling story of Jemima Wilkinson, a Rhode Island girl who grew up to become the Public Universal Friend. As a divine messenger, Wilkinson defied the constraints of gender and emerged as an international celebrity in the age of revolutions. With careful research and clear analysis, Moyer recovers an extraordinary, although long neglected, cultural figure of the early American republic., "Paul B. Moyer's microhistory of the revolutionary-era prophet Jemima Wilkinson narrates the fate of Wilkinson's Society of Universal Friends in the western frontier of New York following her relocation there in the 1790s. This tangled story of property, law, and communitarianism has never been told so thoroughly or so incisively before. Moyer's detailed demographic, psychological, and cultural reconstruction of the prophet's followers constitutes a major contribution to our knowledge of how millenarian movements are born and evolve over time."-Susan Juster, University of Michigan, author of Disorderly Women, This is very thorough book. It has drama in terms of stories of sexual intrigue, attempted murder and legal battles over land, and as much detail on Wilkinson and her ideas as the evidence probably supports... [F]or anyone interested in Quakerism and revival offshoots or in this period of American religious history, the book is essential., Finally we have a full-scale scholarly study of one of the most unusual and quietly seismic religious figures in American history: prophetess Jemima Wilkinson, the Public Universal Friend. Paul B. Moyer dramatically captures the revolutionary atmosphere of Wilkinson's New England in 1776, a place percolating with radical ideas, among them: that a woman could serve as a religious leader. In tracking Wilkinson's career, Moyer rescues from the margins of history an esoteric figure as influential, in her own way, as Thomas Paine., "Paul B. Moyer's microhistory of the revolutionary-era prophet Jemima Wilkinson narrates the fate of Wilkinson's Society of Universal Friends in the western frontier of New York following her relocation there in the 1790s. This tangled story of property, law, and communitarianism has never been told so thoroughly or so incisively before. Moyer's detailed demographic, psychological, and cultural reconstruction of the prophet's followers constitutes a major contribution to our knowledge of how millenarian movements are born and evolve over time."--Susan Juster, University of Michigan, author of Disorderly Women, "In The Public Universal Friend, Paul B. Moyer considers Jemima Wilkinson as the entry point to important historical and historiographical issues even while he contributes to our understanding of religion and gender in the era of the American Revolution. Moyer uses to good effect the fortuitous conjunction of American independence and Wilkinson's rebirth in 1776. This is an impressive book."-Erik R. Seeman, University at Buffalo, author of Death in the New World: Cross-Cultural Encounters, 1492-1800, "Paul B. Moyer deftly tells the compelling story of Jemima Wilkinson, a Rhode Island girl who grew up to become the Public Universal Friend. As a divine messenger, Wilkinson defied the constraints of gender and emerged as an international celebrity in the age of revolutions. With careful research and clear analysis, Moyer recovers an extraordinary, although long neglected, cultural figure of the early American republic."--Alan Taylor, author of The Internal Enemy, "Finally we have a full-scale scholarly study of one of the most unusual and quietly seismic religious figures in American history: prophetess Jemima Wilkinson, the Public Universal Friend. Paul B. Moyer dramatically captures the revolutionary atmosphere of Wilkinson's New England in 1776, a place percolating with radical ideas, among them: that a woman could serve as a religious leader. In tracking Wilkinson's career, Moyer rescues from the margins of history an esoteric figure as influential, in her own way, as Thomas Paine."--Mitch Horowitz, author of Occult America and One Simple Idea, "Finally we have a full-scale scholarly study of one of the most unusual and quietly seismic religious figures in American history: prophetess Jemima Wilkinson, the Public Universal Friend. Paul B. Moyer dramatically captures the revolutionary atmosphere of Wilkinson's New England in 1776, a place percolating with radical ideas, among them: that a woman could serve as a religious leader. In tracking Wilkinson's career, Moyer rescues from the margins of history an esoteric figure as influential, in her own way, as Thomas Paine."-Mitch Horowitz, author of Occult America and One Simple Idea, "In The Public Universal Friend, Paul B. Moyer considers Jemima Wilkinson as the entry point to important historical and historiographical issues even while he contributes to our understanding of religion and gender in the era of the American Revolution. Moyer uses to good effect the fortuitous conjunction of American independence and Wilkinson's rebirth in 1776. This is an impressive book."--Erik R. Seeman, University at Buffalo, author of Death in the New World: Cross-Cultural Encounters, 1492-1800, Paul B. Moyer's microhistory of the revolutionary-era prophet Jemima Wilkinson narrates the fate of Wilkinson's Society of Universal Friends in the western frontier of New York following her relocation there in the 1790s. This tangled story of property, law, and communitarianism has never been told so thoroughly or so incisively before. Moyer's detailed demographic, psychological, and cultural reconstruction of the prophet's followers constitutes a major contribution to our knowledge of how millenarian movements are born and evolve over time., "In The Public Universal Friend , Paul B. Moyer considers Jemima Wilkinson as the entry point to important historical and historiographical issues even while he contributes to our understanding of religion and gender in the era of the American Revolution. Moyer uses to good effect the fortuitous conjunction of American independence and Wilkinson's rebirth in 1776. This is an impressive book."--Erik R. Seeman, University at Buffalo, author of Death in the New World: Cross-Cultural Encounters, 1492-1800, "Paul B. Moyer deftly tells the compelling story of Jemima Wilkinson, a Rhode Island girl who grew up to become the Public Universal Friend. As a divine messenger, Wilkinson defied the constraints of gender and emerged as an international celebrity in the age of revolutions. With careful research and clear analysis, Moyer recovers an extraordinary, although long neglected, cultural figure of the early American republic."-Alan Taylor, author of The Internal Enemy, In The Public Universal Friend , Paul B. Moyer considers Jemima Wilkinson as the entry point to important historical and historiographical issues even while he contributes to our understanding of religion and gender in the era of the American Revolution. Moyer uses to good effect the fortuitous conjunction of American independence and Wilkinson's rebirth in 1776. This is an impressive book.
