Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-05-24
THE SHAKERS
Brief History of the sect and Its Peculiar



This sect was originally an offshoot from
| the Society of Quakers, or Friends. In
1l4a some members of that society in
| Manchester, England, formed distinct
| association, under the leadership of James
| and Jane Wardley. For several wears the
little company were only notieeably
! through icing more noisy than most OF
the assemblages OF Quakers, dancing.
shouting. trembling, etc, under the sup
posed influence of the spirit. But in l77O
, one of their members, Ann Lee, protested
/ to receive some peculiar revelations, testi-
| flying, first, that the carnal nature of the
flesh was the root of ell human deprayity
| and, second, that she herself was Christ. or
the lncarnate Deity, in the female form.
The new sect became thoroughly infatu-
| ated with Ann Lees teachings; they
called her Mother Ann" ard declared
| their belief that no blessing could descend
to any person except through her. But.
outside OF their small circle, the new doc
trines were regarded as blasphemous, and
Ann Lee and her worshipers were impris-
oned and finel.
In IVA, therefore, in obedience to an
| other of Mrs. Lees revelations. she and
several OF her followers ernigrated to New
York and settled at Niskayuna now
Watervliet), about seven miles from Al
bany. There they remained, and after
some years received quite large accession
to their number. Mother Ann, died in
1854. She had established the community
IN the form of family, and the general
Hlan which she laid down has ever since
81, en- followed. In 1857 Joseph Meacham.
one of Ann Lees first converts in this
COUNT V, collected her adherents in a set
tlemert at New Lebanon. Within few
wears Afea> ham had formed eleven other
settlements n New York and other States
No other socis, ties were formed until about
fifteen years Iat ar, when some missionaries
were sent to the West and founded four
in Ohio and two in Ken
lucky. Part of thes.' settlements are still
in existence, others have been entirely dis
persed.
The following is their general plan A
number of persons, called collectively
family" or household, are ass igned to each
house. All the houses are built after one
plan, divided through the middle by
large hall, and having the rooms for the
male members on one side of the building
dLu luoee iOi Vic lSLIdISS Oh the OtHST. All
property is held in common, and every
member of the household who is able to
work is employed. The settlements usu-
ally carry on some special branch of agri-
cultural or manufacturing business, in
which they often attain great expertness
and success. They themselves lead a cell.
bate life, but they teach that, for those
who are not Shakers, marriage, being
necessary for the perpetuation of the hu-
man race, is not sinful.
This sect received the name of Shakers
because of the extraordinary contortions
into which they throw themselves during
their religious exercises. They say that
worship requires the exercise of both soul
and body. When they meet for religious
service, an address is first given by one of
their elders on some doctrinal subject, and
then the whole company form a circle
around band of singers, and, in time to
the music, they go through a series of ex-
trao1dinary bodily evoIutions, dancing,
leaping, whirling round and round with
marvellous rapidity. Some of their mem
bers often claim to have the gift of tongues
and of prophecy Their religious belief
resembles that Of the Quakers in many
particulars, but has a number of essential
peculiarities Of its own.