>Joseph Michael Palmer (1789 – October 30, 1873) was an American bearded man, who faced persecution for wearing a beard. >One day early in May 1830, four men armed with scissors and razors attacked Palmer outside a Fitchburg hotel and attempted to shave him. Palmer successfully fended off his attackers. He was even able to use his jackknife to wound the legs of two of his assailants. Charged with "unprovoked assault", Palmer was arraigned a few days later before Judge David Brigham and fined. Palmer refused to pay the $10 fine, nearly $40 in court fees, and a $700 bond that resulted from his conviction for the crime of defending himself. Palmer was thrown into the Worcester County Jail and kept there for more than a year for refusing to pay the fine. (...) He was dangerously sick during his first few weeks behind bars. Later, he was beaten several times by the jailers, nearly starved for days at a time, placed in solitary confinement for several months, and physically threatened by other prisoners who tried to cut off his beard. >Palmer died in 1873, by which time beards had become widely fashionable again. He is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in North Leominster and his grave marker bears a bearded portrait of him with the inscription "Persecuted for Wearing the Beard".[1]
Which slurs did they use for bearded men?
