Early references to “Men going their own way”

Despite false claims that the phrase was invented during the last decade, “Men Going Their Own Way,” or variants such as “going his own way,” or “go his own sweet way,” is now hundreds of years old.

Here are a few examples (out of thousands) showing that the phrase, as used in reference to men’s freedoms, is an old one:

1996
MGTOW 1996

1939
MGTOW 1939

1936
MGTOW 1936

1922
MGTOW 1922

1917
MGTOW 1917

1913
MGTOW 1913

1902
1902 MGTOW

1899
MGTOW 1899 Morning Post - Friday 22 September 1899

1897
Let men go their own way - MGTOW 1897 The Copper country evening news., October 09, 1897, Image 2

1889
MGTOW 1889 - letter written by Walt Whitman

1886
MGROW 1886 Aberdeen Journal - Monday 06 December 1886

1880
MGTOW 1880 Hull Packet - Friday 03 September 1880

1856
MGTOW 1856 Bucks Herald - Saturday 07 June 1856

1853
MGTOW 1853 Dictionary of English and French Idioms Illustrating, by Phrases and Examples, the Peculiarities of Both Languages, and Designed as a Supplement to the Ordinary Dictionaries Now in Use