At the turn of the nineteenth century, religious fervor swept the Western frontier, and thousands of people came to camp meetings such as the 1801 Cane Ridge Revival in Kentucky to hear the gospel message and find new ways to worship. Thus the Shakers, whose communities in New England were flourishing, found the spiritual atmosphere in Kentucky in the early 1800s perfect for expanding their religion to the west.
Ann Lee, believed by her followers to be the second coming of Christ in female form, founded the Shakers, or the Society of Believers, in the 1700s. The Shaker doctrines of celibacy, communal living, and the belief that perfection can be attained in this life were all based on the revelations that Mother Ann claimed to have divinely received. The name Shakers came from the way they worshiped. At times when a member received the “spirit,” he or she would begin shaking all over. These sorts of “gifts of the spirit,” along with other spiritual manifestations such as visions, were considered by the Shakers to be confirmation of the same direct communication with the Lord they believed their Mother Ann had experienced.
Since the Shakers believed work was part of worship and that God dwelt in the details of that work, they devoted themselves to doing everything—whether farming or making furniture and brooms or developing better seeds—to honor the Eternal Father and Mother Ann. Shaker communities thrived until after the Civil War when few recruits were willing to accept the strict, celibate life of the Shakers, and the sect gradually died out.
In Kentucky, the Shaker villages of Pleasant Hill and South Union have been restored and attract many visitors curious about the Shaker lifestyle. These historical sites provide a unique look at the austere beauty of the Shakers’ craftsmanship. The sect’s songs and strange worship echo in the impressive architecture of their buildings. Visitors also learn about the Shakers’ innovative ideas in agriculture and industry that improved life not only in their own communities but also in the “world” they were so determined to shut away from their lives.