Persecuted for Wearing the Beard,Joseph Palmer was a farmer and War of 1812 veteran from Fitchburg,

Persecuted for Wearing the Beard,Joseph Palmer was a farmer and War of 1812 veteran from Fitchburg, Massachusetts who in 1830 suffered much mistreatment and persecution for committing a terrible act, one that went against the very grain of early 19th century society. Joseph Palmer was one of those disgusting beard wearers. Palmer first grew his beard sometime in the 1820′s, however in the 18th and early 19th century beards weren’t very fashionable as men preferred to be clean shaven. When Palmer grew his beard he became the only bearded man in his town, and the townspeople were up in arms over his beard. They laughed, insulted, and jeered at him in the streets calling him “an old Jew”, children pelted him with stones. Women shrieked and men scorned at the sight of his facial hair. One townsperson upon seeing his beard exclaimed, “Palmer, why don’t you shave and not go around looking like the devil?” Palmer replied: “Mr. Trask, are you not mistaken in your comparison of personages? I have never seen a picture of the ruler of the sulfurous regions with much of a beard, but if I remember correctly, Jesus wore a beard not unlike mine.” The townspeople colluded, plotting to get rid of the beard once and for all.One day in early May a gang of men attacked Palmer with scissors and razors, intent on cutting off and shaving clean Palmer’s precious whiskers. Palmer was able to fend off the attackers and escape, however despite the event happening in plain day for all to see, it was Palmer who would be in trouble with the law. Palmer was arrested and charged with unprovoked assault. He was found guilty, and ordered to pay a $10 fine, $40 in court fees, and a $700 bond. Palmer refused to pay a single penny asserting,“If I aint a safe person to have my Liberty I ought not to go out. And I am willing to stay in confinement til I am.” As a result, Joseph Palmer was sentenced to a year in prison.During Palmer’s imprisonment he was treated harshly. He was often beaten by both his fellow inmates and the guards, who also tried to shave his beard. He was also starved and placed in solitary confinement for several months. Worse yet, despite only being sentenced to a year in prison, Palmer’s imprisonment continued up to 15 months, the local authorities simply just refused to let him go until he gave in and paid the fine or shaved his beard.  This eventually became an embarrassment as news of his incarceration spread, and it was quite clear that the punishment far outweighed the crime. It was also an embarrassment because ironically beards began to come back into fashion, and local men were growing their own beards.  The judge who had sentenced Palmer, David Brigham, finally convinced Palmer to pay the fine, but waved the court fees and bond. After his imprisonment Joseph Palmer became famous across the country for his story. He became an ardent abolitionist and spoke out in support of prison reform. He often hung out with famous contemporaries of his day such as Louisa May Alcott, Henry David Thoreau, and William Lloyd Garrison. He died in 1872, his tombstone bearing the epitaph, “Persecuted for Wearing the Beard”. -- source link

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