America in the run-up to the Revolutionary War wasn't just a period of dramatic political change, it was also a time of great religious and social instability, anxiety and experimentation. And in the midst of it all there arose a self-proclaimed genderless prophet — the Public Universal Friend. This week, how the Public Universal Friend rocked society's norms and paved the way for others to reject religious and gender expectations for centuries to come.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.