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Main Belief: Second coming of Christ

Communal living, celibacy, humility, simplicity, efficiency, and equality is the road to salvation

God is made up of male and female elements

Support active and direct communication with the dead

People who joined usually left since they did not put aside their self-interest

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Although equality was stressed, day-to-day work was still based on traditional gender roles

Women: cloth making, cleaning, weaving, taking care of children, cooking

Men: outside work, heavy manufacturing

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One of the most prominent features of Shaker life, the religious services they held were different from others.

Attended by both Shakers and non-Shakers

Involved hand-clapping, dancing, singing, stomping, shaking, shouting, etc.

Allows Shakers to let out bottled emotions

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Very simple lives

Focused on farming

Invented objects such as the circular saw, flat broom, and revolving oven

VIDEO: displays the Shakers way of life with examples

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The Shakers: America’s Quiet Revolutionaries

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The Shakers: America's Quiet Revolutionaries details facets of the Shakers, their religion, and their daily lives, artifacts from these preeminent Shaker collections are shown together for the first time. This major exhibition explores how the Shakers -the most culturally significant communal religious society in American History -sought religious freedom in America and how their "revolutionary" culture, spiritual practices, and ideas on gender equality set them apart from the rest of society.

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Economic

Sold seeds in packages: became very successful

Invented circular saw, brimstone match, flat broom, and revolving oven

Developed a multi-state corporation with over 100,000 acres of land

Social

Open to orphaned children

Open to other cultures like American Indians and Jews

Usually up-to-date on technology; first to use modern conveniences

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Religious

Celibacy was not very appealing

Hostile to unorthodox practices

Difficult to place community’s interests ahead of their own

Social

Unwilling to share property or spouses

Unstable leadership

Indiscriminate admission of members

Decreased enthusiasm in religious practices

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Born in Manchester, England in 1736

Remained illiterate so had to work in textile mills

Worked in an infirmary and madhouse in her twenties

Observed alcohol abuses and human corruption

Caused her to develop hatred for human depravity and sex

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Joined the Wardley Society in 1758

Taught that the second coming of Christ was near

Wardleys were impressed with her motivation and potential

TURNING POINT: married a blacksmith and had four children, who all died in infancy or childbirth

She thought she displeased God, so she became celibate

Developed different views from the Wardley Society and separated

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In 1770, she experienced a vision that she was the female successor to Jesus

Her gospel: life with God begins by confession and is perfected by denial of the lusts of the flesh through celibacy

Acquired more followers

Restricted to practice in England so moved to America for freedom

In 1776, they were neither for England or America in the Revolutionary War since they were pacifists

Moved away from New York to a Niskeyuna and began the first Shaker community

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Began a mission to spread the importance of Shakerism

Beliefs were attractive to Free Will Baptists and “New Light” Presbyterians

Often confronted by violent mobs

Lee’s brother was severely injured and died in 1784

Lee became depressed and passed away on September 8th, 1784