Shakers: religion and art
• Dr D’Ann Campbell
• TAH 2008
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Geography: 1790-1840
Shakers
Originated
In England
But all
came
To USA
Center was in
New England
&
New York
Additional colonies in Ohio & Kentucky
National Park Service Guide
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How Many?
• 1770s: under 20
• 1800 a few thousand
• 1840: 6,000 full members in 19
villages
• New members? No babies
– Women age 18-40
– Orphans; some joined and most left for
the world
• Today: small handful in Maine
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Life Style
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The Shakers lived in community villages
Everyone of all ages had a job to do
Men and women lived apart
No children were born there—but orphans
were often brought in from outside
• When an orphan became 21 he or she
could decide to stay on
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Hancock Village (Massachusetts)
Hancock website
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Canterbury NH
• They grew their own
food
• They were famous for
their seeds, which
they sold all across
the country
• They were pacifists
and did not fight in
Civil War, but set up
hospitals
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Shaker design is famous because it is
simple, it works, and it is beautiful
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Simplicity, Symmetry
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Functional, simple, clean design
more pictures
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Influential furniture
Lesson plan: furniture
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Shakers were a religious group; their ceremonies
included songs and a sacred dance
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Religious Music
Learn More
more on music
Lesson plan for "Gift to
be Simple" song
(grade 5-8)
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Shaker Women: more equality than
anywhere else in America
•Women in Utopia (Campbell)
•Mother Ann Lee (the founder)
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Sources
Ken Burns video for PBS
Timeline
Brief history
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On Line Sources
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Overview
Shaker Theology
1859 Compendium
15 Years a Shakeress (1872 memoir)
Autobiography (1869)
Travel account by novelist Howells (1876)
Interpretation by German scholar (1974)
Architecture & style (by Swank)
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