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Shakers
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The Shakers were one of the oldest and most successful religious communal sects in the United States and, with one minor exception, the only one composed of native-born Americans of varying ethnic and religious backgrounds. "Tis the gift to be simple," sings one of the Shakers' rhythmic songs. Simplicity, hard work, and the love of God formed the very core of the Shakers' existence. They were gentle, peace loving people who believed in racial and sexual equality, love of neighbor, conservation of resources, and pacifism.
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The Shakers are one of the most intriguing social and religious movements in American history. They are ... one of the longest lived, and are considered by many to be the most successful of the hundreds of communal groups and utopian societies that have flourished in this country since before the Revolutionary War. As the Shakers grew in influence and in numbers in the 19th century, they challenged the existing social and religious structure and economic order of the new nation. Eventually developing an alternative lifestyle based on their religious beliefs, the Shakers have made important contributions to American culture including art, science, architecture, craftsmanship, business, music, education, government, medicine, agriculture, and commerce.
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French Camisards and Quakers: The French Camisards, whose religious beliefs inspired both the Quakers and Shakers, originated in southern France during the 17th century. Influenced by the French Calvinists, the Camisards, whose name originated from the Provence word camiso, or chemise (shirt), rebelled against the royal persecution of their faith by the French authorities. The Camisards held some of their leaders to be Prophets, whom they claimed heard the word of God. They battled the armies of the French King Louis XIV from 1702 to 1706. Losing the battle, some Camisard survivors fled to England, where they continued to practice their beliefs. It was when these exiles preached in England that some Quakers fell under their influence.
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The Shakers trace their beginnings to Manchester, England, in 1747. They called themselves The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing. They soon became known as Shakers because of the trembling, whirling, and shaking that affected them during their spiritually ecstatic worship services. As Millennialists, they believed that Christ's second coming was realized in their leader, Ann Lee, whom they called Mother Ann. Misunderstood and persecuted in their native England, the Shakers nonetheless gathered a small group of enthusiastic followers to their new Christian lifestyle and beliefs.
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The United Society of Believers, commonly called Shakers, was founded in 1747, in Manchester, England. They were called in derision, "Shaking Quakers," because of their ecstatic and violent bodily agitation in worship. To this group of separatists came a remarkable young woman named Ann Lee (1736-1784). In 1770, she was imprisoned for her religious views. During this time she experienced a series of visions. From that date on Ann Lee was acknowledged as their leader and known as Mother Ann.
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Besides leading a simple but comfortably self-sufficient existence from the fruits of their land, the Shakers came to be known for their architecture, crafts, and furniture. Shaker design, with its clean, economic lines, is the quintessential statement of the happy marriage of form and function--a tangible embodiment of the Shaker credo: "Beauty rests on utility."
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Shakers