Shakers religion and art Dr DAnn Campbell TAH

Shakers: religion and art • Dr D’Ann Campbell • TAH 2008 1

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 2

How Many? • • 1770 s: 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 3

Life Style • • 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 4

Hancock Village (Massachusetts) Hancock website 5

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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 7

Shaker design is famous because it is simple, it works, and it is beautiful 8

Simplicity, Symmetry 9

Functional, simple, clean design more pictures 10

Influential furniture Lesson plan: furniture 11

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Shakers were a religious group; their ceremonies included songs and a sacred dance 13

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Religious Music Learn More more on music Lesson plan for "Gift to be Simple" song (grade 5 -8) 16

Shaker Women: more equality than anywhere else in America • Women in Utopia (Campbell) • Mother Ann Lee (the founder) 17

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Sources Ken Burns video for PBS Timeline Brief history 19

On Line Sources • • 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) 20