Advanced American History
Shakers
January 8, 2014
Shakers were a later form of Protestantism that began in the late 1700’s near England. They believed that all people should give up their worldly goods and dedicate their lives to the following of the Lord. They also believed in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, dancing, and shaking to the Lord when they worshiped. Shaker ministers also preached on equalized sexes, meaning they believed that women were as equal to men and that in the beginning Adam sinned as much as Eve did. This brought controversy for at that time women had few if any rights to their name.
Shakers took form in 1747, when Jane Wardley and Ann Lee began holding services in their homes. For the first six years they only had eight followers. The King of England of found out about these ceremonies and greatly disliked the teaching and the group was forced to leave for North America. There they set up their services in their homes in what would later be the state of New York. As time passed more and more followers came to the group. In 1758, Jane Wardley passed and Ann Lee took control of the group. She would be head of the church for the next twenty years. She was known as “Mother Ann” and attracted a lot of women to her church. She often preached out against the unfair treatment of women and scolded those men that believed that they had more rights than women. It was also during this time that she organized style so to speak of what many of our churches still have today. Wooden pews, cross bearing alters, hymn books, and window stained glass.
In 1788, Ann Lee died and Joseph Meacham and Lucy Wright took control of the church and actually organized the group into a society. Meacham would die in 1798 leaving the church to Lucy Wright. Preaching would shift more toward the gifts of the Holy Spirit instead of the rights of men and women. By 1840, there were about forty thousand Shaker believers. Wright would die in 1840 and she was never replaced. In 1841, the Protestants, Quakers, and Baptists would overtake that Shaker religion.
Below is a compare and contrast paper on how the Shaker religion resembled other religions.
Shakers
January 8, 2014
Shakers were a later form of Protestantism that began in the late 1700’s near England. They believed that all people should give up their worldly goods and dedicate their lives to the following of the Lord. They also believed in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, dancing, and shaking to the Lord when they worshiped. Shaker ministers also preached on equalized sexes, meaning they believed that women were as equal to men and that in the beginning Adam sinned as much as Eve did. This brought controversy for at that time women had few if any rights to their name.
Shakers took form in 1747, when Jane Wardley and Ann Lee began holding services in their homes. For the first six years they only had eight followers. The King of England of found out about these ceremonies and greatly disliked the teaching and the group was forced to leave for North America. There they set up their services in their homes in what would later be the state of New York. As time passed more and more followers came to the group. In 1758, Jane Wardley passed and Ann Lee took control of the group. She would be head of the church for the next twenty years. She was known as “Mother Ann” and attracted a lot of women to her church. She often preached out against the unfair treatment of women and scolded those men that believed that they had more rights than women. It was also during this time that she organized style so to speak of what many of our churches still have today. Wooden pews, cross bearing alters, hymn books, and window stained glass.
In 1788, Ann Lee died and Joseph Meacham and Lucy Wright took control of the church and actually organized the group into a society. Meacham would die in 1798 leaving the church to Lucy Wright. Preaching would shift more toward the gifts of the Holy Spirit instead of the rights of men and women. By 1840, there were about forty thousand Shaker believers. Wright would die in 1840 and she was never replaced. In 1841, the Protestants, Quakers, and Baptists would overtake that Shaker religion.
Below is a compare and contrast paper on how the Shaker religion resembled other religions.
Shaker's: How did they Compare? | |
File Size: | 25 kb |
File Type: | doc |