Ann Lee and the Shakers: A Fascinating Story of Faith and Community

Ann Lee and the Shakers By Aiko Robles and Jessica Doll

Ann Lees early life Ann Lee was born in 1736 in England Her father was a blacksmith She was illiterate and worked in a cotton factory She married a blacksmith named Abraham Standerin in 1762 When she was in her early twenties she joined a religious group called the Shakers She was imprisoned for her beliefs, and believed God was sending her messages about how to perfect God s kingdom through celibacy, and to immigrate to America.

Ann Lee in America Ann Lee, her husband, and 7 others immigrated to America She was imprisoned in the U.S. for not aiding the american s in the revolution, and was later released. Despite this she kept her English followers. They settled in 1776 in Albany, NY. And the number of members only grew from there. The Shakers were officially called the United Society of Believers in Christ s Second Appearing The Shakers called Ann Lee Mother Ann

Ann Lee and her family Ann and her husband had a bad relationship and separated Some say husband cheated on her She had 4 children. They all died in childhood These events may have shaped her ideas of sex and children In the Shaker s religion, it is said Christ came back as Mother Ann because she had a special manifestation of Divine Light

Religious Beliefs The shakers were often arrested and harassed for their beliefs They were pacifists They were most famously known for their energetic and unregulated dancing, which was later changed to choreographed dancing, then again to random dancing They were originally called the United Society of Believers in Christ s Second Appearing The shakers were celibate, and because this discouraged childbearing among its members, it was the main reason for the shaker s later decline in community size. Adopted children were allowed to leave the shaker communities at 21 if they wished. Similar to the quakers, the shakers had more evolved ideas of gender equality for their

Shakers in their Utopian Society Shakers abandoned their possessions and land for a common property- Holy Families They produced very successful communities, and also invented lots of tools that helped with farm life. The shakers commercialized seed selling, and flourished in the medicinal-herb market. They gave goods from their gardens to the poor. The communities prided themselves on their cleanliness and humble way of life, as a challenge to immoral city life.

Shakers in their Utopian Society These communities reflected the attempts of human perfection which certain religious groups sought after during the antebellum period movement. The shakers spread out across the country and gained thousands of members Declined started around the mid 1800s

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