Shakers

The Shakers are a Christian communal movement formally known as the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing. They are distinguished by celibacy, shared property, ecstatic worship, and influential craftsmanship.

Mother Ann Lee: Ann Lee was the English-born religious leader who guided the Shakers’ early movement in America. Her leadership shaped the community after its migration from England.
Second Coming: The Second Coming is the Christian belief that Jesus Christ will return to establish or complete God’s kingdom. Shakers understood Christ’s return as already manifested in Ann Lee.
Shaker village: A Shaker village was a self-governing settlement where members lived and worked in communal households. Villages translated shared property and religious discipline into everyday organization.
Shaker furniture: Shaker furniture is furniture made by Shaker communities, known for functional forms, careful joinery, and restrained decoration. Its spare design reflects Shaker ideals of utility and order.
Shaker music: Shaker music is the sacred song tradition created and performed in Shaker communities. Songs preserved religious teaching and communal memory across generations.
Wardley Society: The Wardley Society was an English religious group whose members became the first Shakers. This Quaker-influenced group formed the movement’s English roots.
Celibacy: Celibacy is the choice or religious discipline of abstaining from sexual activity. Shakers required members to live celibately, unlike most Christian communities.
Shaker family: A Shaker family was a residential and working unit within a larger Shaker village, not a biological household. Families organized members by residence and labor despite Shaker celibacy.
Shaker chair: A Shaker chair is a lightweight wooden chair produced in Shaker communities, often with a woven seat and distinctive turned parts. Chair making became one of the best-known forms of Shaker craftsmanship.
Simple Gifts: “Simple Gifts” is a Shaker song written by Elder Joseph Brackett in 1848. This Shaker song later became widely known beyond the communities.

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Doris HumphreyBroader topic: Its restrained group patterns show her interest in ritual and collective expression.