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Founder: Ann Lee (1736-1784), later deemed "Mother Ann Lee"

Place: Bolton, England then after Ann Lee was jailed in 1772 and 1773 for missing the Sabbath in England she moved, with members, to the United States (specifically New York and New England) in 1774

Date of founding/composition: Shakers began in the 1950’s End date? Shakers ended in the 1900’s Why ended? “changing social and economic conditions” (Enfield) and the fact that no new members, besides adopted children, were becoming part of the Shakers

Size of group: At it's peak: 6,000 members

Goal/Mission of community: Main belief of the community was that perfect and pure holiness could be obtained, just as Mother Ann did and why she was comparable to God, and that by being connected with God they could unleash the sins trapped in their bodies.

Religious component:  The Shakers believe in a dual leadership based upon respect and they see the two divine leaders as God and Mother Ann. Shakers would meditate until hearing a message from God and when they received a message they would shake and yell out. What role does it play in civic life?  This dual leadership brings respect and equality between men and women to the society of the Shakers. 

Describe their social contract: “Virgin Purity. Peace. Justice. Love” (The American Shakers)

What is their definition of happiness? Happiness would consist of being true to the Shaker rules and to not do anything that would threaten a chance to become perfectly holy

What is the source of human distress (what problems need to be solved)? : There was an idea that the men sustained from sex with women because women were sinful.  Relating back to the time of Adam and Eve where Eve took a bite of the forbidden fruit and then gave some to Adam.  With sustaining from the original sin that women had men would be able to achieve the goal of being as divine and reaching the ultimate pure holiness just as Mother Ann and God

Rules

Conduct: N/A

Sex and marriage: Mother Ann Lee preached celibacy and sources believe she believed in this after all four of her children had died as infants and she believed that "sexual intercourse was the cause of all human suffering" (The Utopian Reader)

Children

Although there were children brought into the Shaker community children were never conceived by Shaker's because of the belief of celibacy and that with sex would come suffering.  Orphans and run aways were usually taken in by the Shakers but did not have to join as adults and at the age of 21 were given a choice to leave or not.

Labor: Women were given standard and stereotypical jobs that a woman would posses.  Cooking, cleaning, tending to the house, and being indoors while the men would work in labor, work in shops, and be tradesmen.  It was said that outside the Church women and men were not equal.

Economy: how sustained? Although the Shakers believed in staying away from the non believers, if the Ministry or someone approved by the Ministry went out into town to trade or barter they would do so with people who have turned their backs on God (non believers).  If Believers ended up conversing with non believers they would have to give a detailed account of the conversation and what happened to the Ministry when they returned home.  Shakers were not allowed to be away from home longer than 3 weeks while on business. Wealth & poverty? Anything that could be considered wealth, such as money, deeds, bonds, are kept at an office overseen by the Elders and the Ministry who are the two groups that must approve if money needs to be spent.  Money is just spent on necessities. Private property? There is no private property in the Shaker community all property is communal and overseen by the Ministry who is to use the property and gains to the community towards the Church.  They believed that everything they owned and earned actually belonged to God and therefore they turned it over to the Ministry who represented Him.

Agriculture & manufacturing: No new inventions or items, including clothing and manufacture, is to be introduced to the Shaker Believers without the Ministry approving to it

Law & justice: The Ministry took the executive role and the laws that were followed were named "The Millennial Laws" there were 27 of them and they all explained the power structure, code of conduct, commitment to family and to the other Believers, what the Ministry had control over and what they needed to oversee, and much more.  "The Millennial Laws" also described how the Ministry was to use their strong power with the Church and the faith in mind.

Social organization: Men and women are equal to the Shakers and there is a dual leadership; however, men will treat women with respect and respect their ideas and authority just as a woman would respect a man's and men and women were separated in everything that they did.  No slavery.

Power structure: who’s in charge? The Ministry consists of two brethren and two sisters and similarly each organization consists of two brethren and two sisters to look over spiritual affairs and then two deacons and two deaconesses who deal with temporalities. 

How are new members added? People could just join the Shaker community and for children to join, because they could not be conceived, they would have to have been adopted. How do people leave?: Not allowed to talk to people who have been kicked out and have turned their backs on God (non believers) and if brought into the community as a child when a man turned 21 he could choose to leave.

Foreign relations: Although there were no ties with other countries after leaving England there is trade and barter with other communities outside the Shaker community only if the Ministry approved of it