The Kingdom of Matthias: A Story of Sex and Salvation in 19th Century America

Manhattan is the financial and trading center of New York in the 1830s, and the city represents the potential of resourceful men like Matthews who can make their fortunes in the city according to their own skill sets. Many men like Matthews and Pierson left their rural origins to find their fortunes in Manhattan, and here, Matthews first established his Kingdom, after Pierson joined the cult. Pierson established his business on Pearl Street, alongside other entrepreneurs. Pearl Street symbolizes a new business class who were less dependent on transatlantic trade, seeking instead new domestic opportunities created by American market capitalism.

The Kingdom of Matthias and its religious, criminal, and sexual intrigues become a national sensation, perpetuated by an emerging penny press. These newspapers contrasted with the traditional newspapers of the day, entertaining the public with salacious news pieces about crime and sex rather than financial and political issues. The penny press circulars were a new genre of popular journalism that was designed for mass consumption at this time in American history. Comparable to today’s tabloids, the stories published by the penny press were selected for their sensationalism and contained details of brutal murders and sex scandals.