Book Description

The Shakers are perhaps the best known of all the American religious communities. The Shakers’ theological ideas were explained and justified in their publications, but the realities of their day-to-day life remained hidden.The texts included in this edition come from Shakers’ firsthand accounts written in the nineteenth century. These memoirs describe the society’s founders, show why individuals chose to join the Shakers and reveal interesting details of daily life. The sources reflect the Shakers’ geographical diversity; contributions by brethren, sisters, leaders and rank and file members provide an inclusive view of Shaker life. The set represents the largest single gathering of resources on a very private people.Full editorial apparatus is used to provide historical context for the sources, most of them previously unpublished. This unique resource will allow scholars to research materials that are scattered or inaccessible. It will be of value to those studying American religious and social history as well as nineteenth-century American society in general.