The
1800s were a time of strong religous feelings and experimental communities.
Not many of these compared to the idealism and the religious zealotry
of the Shakers. They called themselves the "United
Society of Believers in Christ's SecondAppearing"
The tennants of their beliefs were based on absolute purity (celibacy
and physical seperation between the sexes), hard
work, and seperation
from society.
Shakers or Alethians, Shaking Quakers
called so for their worshipping which seemed to "shake"
off sin
Also called the Millenial Church
Basic
Information
-began as a Quaker revival
in England, by James and Ann Wardley,
but moved to America when they were exiled from England
-made popular by Ann
Lee in 1766
-Ann Lee was born in England and raised as an EnglishQuaker
-Lee had strong belief that sex prevented
people from reaching God;
celibacy was the answer
to God
-reached height with 6,000members sometime in mid 19th
century
-it's downfall was the church's inability to repopulate itself
-adopted orphans and raised them in order to survive
Ann
Lee
-was married and bore four children, all of whom died in infancy
-thought marriage was incompatible with the teaching of God
-preached the inevitable and close second coming of Christ
-arrived in America, 1774
-established first Shaker community 1776
Quarters
-four story house
-2-5 people in one room
-single beds
-females on one side of the house, males on the other, even in family
arrangements
-NO physical contact between the sexes occured
-seperate stair cases, seperate sides of the room, seperate doors
were used
Discipline
-wake early
-work late
-large meals
-refine your art/occupation to its full potential
-Shaker proverb (link)
"Whoever
would live long and happy, let him observe the following rules:
Let
your thoughts be rational, solid, godly.
Let your conversation be little, useful, true.
Let your conduct be profitable, virtuous, charitable.
Let your manners be sober, courteous, cheerful.
Let your diet be temperate, wholesome, sober.
Let your apparel be frugal, neat, comely.
Let your sleep be moderate, quiet, seasonable.
Let your recreations be lawful, brief, seldom.
Let your prayers be short, devout, sincere."
1806:
Pleasant Hill Village came into existence 1830: Pleasant Hill had 500 Shakers 1910: only 12 Shakers left 2000: One last community in Maine
