In August 1776, as delegates in Philadelphia began affixing their names to the Declaration of Independence and military campaigns convulsed the colonies, a religious rupture in rural Rhode Island set the stage for a very different kind of founding. A 24‑year‑old named Jemima Wilkinson was dismissed from the Smithfield Quaker Meeting after attending Baptist revivals, an action that precipitated the formation of what came to be called the Society of Universal Friends.
Religious discipline and a community divided
The circumstances surrounding Wilkinson’s departure illustrate how strict social and religious codes could alter lives during the Revolutionary era. Quaker congregations of the period enforced clear boundaries: military service, public affiliation with other denominations or perceived moral lapses could all invite censure. Wilkinson’s attendance at Baptist services, which led to reprimand in February 1776 and eventual dismissal that August, was the single event that transformed her personal spiritual journey into the seeds of a new sect.
"This is the first part of a two-part series about the founding of the Society of Universal Friends and the group's history in Yates County."
The new movement’s adherents later became the first permanent, non-native settlers in what is now Yates County, New York — a notable instance of how religious dissension in one place could reshape settlement patterns elsewhere.
Family tensions against a revolutionary backdrop
The Wilkinson household itself bore strains that mirrored wider pressures in the colonies. The family included 12 children and a widowed father, Jeremiah. Two sons, Stephen and Jeptha, joined the local militia, a choice at odds with Quaker pacifist doctrine and grounds for expulsion from the meeting. Two older Wilkinson daughters had children outside marriage, another behaviour that, although fairly common at the time, could provoke formal discipline among strict Quaker communities.
All of this unfolded while military conflict and upheaval stalked the eastern seaboard: British troops pressed into New York, the Battle of Brooklyn was fought, and makeshift prison ships anchored off New England colonies held prisoners in unsanitary conditions. The Revolutionary crisis and local religious strife converged, shaping personal and communal decisions.
Why this story matters today
At its core, the tale of Wilkinson and the Society of Universal Friends is about the limits of conformity and how dissent can spawn lasting institutions. The schism demonstrates:
- How religious expectations governed daily life and social belonging in the 18th century.
- That nonconformity could produce new communities and migration paths, influencing settlement history.
- How personal decisions were frequently entangled with broader political and military upheavals.
Local histories like this one illuminate lesser-known threads of the Revolutionary era: not just battles and declarations but also the social and spiritual negotiations that shaped early American communities.
| Year / Detail | Event |
|---|---|
| February 1776 | Wilkinson reprimanded for attending Baptist services |
| August 1776 | Wilkinson dismissed from Smithfield Quaker Meeting; broader Revolutionary events underway |
| Late 18th century | Followers of Wilkinson become first permanent non-Indigenous settlers of present-day Yates County |
This article is the first instalment in a two-part series examining the Society of Universal Friends and its regional legacy; a follow-up will appear on Sept. 5.
Understanding episodes such as this helps broaden our view of the past: founding moments can take many forms, and sometimes a religious expulsion on a summer afternoon has consequences that ripple across decades and landscapes.
