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The Shakers (Mother Ann Lee) Mother Ann Lee February 9, 1736 – September 8, 1784

Early Life:  Ann Lee was born to a very religious family on February 9, 1763. As she grew older, she began to feel very uncomfortable with her sexuality. She effectively remained single until her father forced her into marriage with Abraham Stanley in 1961. After marriage, she became pregnant 8 times, none of her children living past age six. The events of her early life led subsequently to her views on life and religion.

Leader of the Shakers: At age 22, Lee joined the Shaking Quakers or the Shakers. The Shakers were The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing. They were a religious group developed in England that was considered a sect of the Quakers. They centered around open confession of sin and the promotion of Christ coming back to earth. Lee’s membership and identity with the Shakers was strong and she soon became the group’s leader. After her forced marriages and failed pregnancies, Ann Lee began to gain sympathy from the church goers. She became known as “Mother” Ann Lee and her views are respected in the church. Obsessed with going against the concept of marriage and the sin of any form of sexuality, Ann started to preach heavily against it to her many followers. Ann Lee called for her followers to confess their sins, give up all their worldly goods, and take up the cross of celibacy. It was thought that she had revelations regarding the fall of Adam and Eve and how it dealt with sexual intercourse. Her belief was that you were not truly of God if you delved into things such as marriage and sex. Lee saw herself as the counterpart to Christ. She believed that she embodied all of God’s desires in a person. She brought the Shakers movement to America and it became one of the greatest religious movements of the 1800s.

Women’s Rights Ann Lee and the Shakers settled in New York, where they became popular for their enthusiastic worship that included singing and dancing. The Shaker movement traveled in the United States, particularly manifesting itself in New England. Lee continued to be a prominent member of the Shakers and many Americans began to question her right to preach as a woman. With this, she advocated the rights of all people, including women, in the church. The Shakers believed that everyone had the right to spread the word of Christ’s second coming and promote their ever important view of celibacy.

Lasting Effects:  Even after Ann Lee’s death in 1784, the Shakers movement continued. The church became its strongest between 1830 and 1850 in New England. As “Mother” Lee had promoted originally, all people were accepted into the church, which was particularly appealing to the reforming society. There was a large push for equality and the acceptance of all people in that time period and the Shakers were a religious group with welcoming arms. The Shakers movement developed into one that fought for the common good of the people. This is evidence of how the Shakers helped in the unification of the people and the spreading of Republican ideals by recognizing all people as equal and moving towards the common good.

References:

Jane Wardley was an important female preacher of the Shakers. She produced very articulate sermons and was a valuable member of the Shakers movement. As a female, she identified with Ann Lee and like Lee, held up the ideals of the church through her teachings.

George Whitefield was a Anglican priest that spread the Great Awakening in Britain. He was Ann Lee's inspiration when she was a young woman. She used his ideas of confession to better the Shakers doctrine.

Bibliography:

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