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The Long And Short Of It: Persecuted For Wearing The Beard

Hear the tale of Joseph Palmer, 1789-1873: farmer, abolitionist, stubborn person, wearer of a magnificent beard.

Written, researched and presented by April Grant
Edited by Dan Thurston

Sources:
Matteson, John. Eden’s Outcasts. (2007) Source of quote from Palmer in final confrontation with Reverend Trask, as well as info on the Alcott family’s interactions with Palmer. This is a dual biography of Bronson and Louisa May Alcott, and recommended for anyone interested in either author’s life experiences.
Della Valle, Paul. Massachusetts Troublemakers: Rebels, Reformers, and Radicals from the Bay State. (2009) Rich in details on Palmer’s life before and after the beard incident, as well as on his time in jail and the people involved in his removal from jail.
Joseph Palmer’s wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Palmer_(communard)
Lorenzo Dow, beard-wearing, ascetic Christian preacher: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorenzo_Dow
Silas Lamson, beard-wearing scythe manufacturer, inventor, Christian preacher, rough sleeper, mental hospital inmate, and abolitionist: http://www.maynardlifeoutdoors.com/2020/12/this-old-knife-and-fork.html (The foregoing link leads to an excellent local history website post about Maynard, MA, by David A. Mark, featuring a great portrait of Lamson with one of his scythes.)
Images of the Palmers’ grave marker, and details of their lives: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44843658/joseph-palmer