Shaker History

Beautiful and simple Shaker forms are very much admired today. These forms are exciting and remarkable because they are a translation of religious philosophy, rather than a representation of a designer's art. This form has spanned two centuries of American history. The following brief history of the Shaker movement will add insight to give a fuller appreciation of this evolution from belief to functional form.

The Shaker ancestry goes back to Manchester, England, where a small group of Quakers were evolving a doctrine predicated on the belief that the second coming of Christ was near at hand. A young woman named Ann Lee was the leader of this group. She had been forced into a marriage which resulted in four children, all of whom died as infants. These tragedies in her life convinced her that a life of celibacy must be the foundation stone on which to develop her religion.

Ann Lee and her small group of celibate Quaker followers worshipped God and developed a variety of unusual mannerisms during their worship services. The happenings during their services ultimately led to the development of their name, the "Shakers." Manifestations such as silent meditation, trembling and ultimately violent agitations of the body led to the acquisition of the name "Shaker Quakers" initially, and eventually, simply "Shakers."

During August of 1774, Ann Lee and eight of her disciples decided to escape the persecution plaguing them in England, set sail for America and arrived in New York. Two years after their arrival in America, a religious foothold was established at Niskeyuna, near what is known today as Albany, New York. Their group, known as "The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing," believed that the second-coming of Christ had actually occurred in the body of Ann Lee, whom they affectionately referred to as Mother Ann.

They endured extreme hardships and deprived themselves during their early years in America. They also gained many converts through their efforts and the guidance of Mother Ann. Their converts came from regions far and wide, some came from Massachusetts, some from upper Connecticut and even as far as western Rhode Island.

In the fall of 1784, Mother Ann died at Niskeyuna (later renamed Watervliet). Her death was attributed to a weakened physical condition brought on by the many arduous missionary journeys she performed.

In 1787, the first organized Shaker Community was established in New Lebanon, New York. American-born followers took leadership of the Shakers and started nine additional New England Shaker Communities during the next seven years. By 1828 a total of 18 settlements were founded, from Maine on the north, to Ohio and Kentucky on the west and south. The height of the Shaker movement was in the year of 1850, when members of the Shaker communities numbered more than 6,000 faithful followers.

As the Shakers grew in number, their religious faith developed a lifestyle that wove their convictions into their daily lives. In their edicts, known as the Millennial Laws, was written not only the details of their order of worship, but also duties of the members, use of property and quality of work. Four main principals were observed at all times:

1. A life of celibacy
2. Common ownership of property
3. Confession of sins
4. Separation from the world.

"Labor to make the way of God your own; let it be your inheritance, your treasure, your daily calling. Put your hands to work and your hearts to God. Do your work as though you had a thousand years to live. These are just a few of the maxims which the Shakers entwined into their daily lives and actually lived and worked by. Adhering to these laws resulted in purity of living and meticulousness of work, which still shows up and benefits us today in education, industrial activities, commercial ventures, and craftsmanship, many unequalled to this day.

Some of the inventions of this group of industrious and devout people include the washing machine, clothespin, packaged seeds, spinning wheel, flat broom, and of course, the beautiful and simple, but exquisitely-crafted Shaker furniture and nesting boxes for which they've become known.