The Shakers are members of the United Society of Believers in the second appearance of Christ. They are one of many utopian farming communities of the early 1800s. The Shakers are more than a group of farmers: they were dedicated to a life of perfection. They invented many time-saving tools and machines and created distinctive styles of architecture, furniture, and craftsmanship. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The Shakers began in England. The Shaking Quakers were a small branch of radical English Quakers. They were known for their liveliness, shaking, screaming, dancing and singing in their religious rituals. While living in Manchester the Shakers were persecuted for their actions in their early years. Soon a woman named Ann Lees came to the Shakers and joined soon after. The deaths of her four children, three who died as infants and the fourth as an infant, had much to do with Ann's decision to join them. Her past experiences with men had also strongly influenced her decision. After joining the Shakers, Ann Lees became known as Ann Lee. Ann believed strongly in celibacy, which became the central nature of the Shakers. As time passed Ann became more and more outspoken and the meetings began to become more lively. The encounters were so extreme that Ann was sent to prison for desecrating the Sabbath. When she was released from prison Ann claimed to have visions of Christ. Ann and other Shakers believed she was the second incarnation of Christ. Soon thereafter Ann Lee became known as Mother Ann. In 1774 Ann Lee along with nine of her followers moved to Niskeyuna, New York. Within a few years he began to raise his eyes and Mother Ann finally began to recruit followers. In 1784 Mother Anna died. At the time of his death the Shakers society had about one hundred members. After Ann's death, James Whittaker took over the organization. Father James continued the Shaker community. He rounded up the new agitators and isolated them in their villages; here they were far from the evils of the world. Father James tried to formalize the rules, introduced the evangelical orders. The main ideas of the evangelical orders were the separation of the sexes. Adult males, females and children each had their own "families". Gender separation was taken to the next level when males and females had to exit through separate doors. All properties were shared among the entire group. Father James' leadership did not last long: he died in 1787. Elder Joseph Meacham and Elder Lucy Wright became the new leaders of the Shakers. Their spiritual home was in New Lebanon, New York. The Shakers grew and spread, creating several villages in New England. During the Second Great Awakening, the Shakers sent missionaries who established communities in Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. By the year 1826, eighteen Shaker villages were active. The height of the group's popularity was around 1840, when they had nearly 6,000 members in their church. Subsequently, the group began to shrink as celibacy prevented the children from continuing the group. Their numbers dwindled to around 1,000 in the early 1900s. Today only a couple of survivors remain. The Shakers were a very successful group of people. One of the reasons they have been so successful is due to their innovative innovations, which have allowed them to work very efficiently. Together with their inventions, they created new markets for everyone. They sold packaged seeds, dried fruits and excess fresh foods to strangers. This resulted in a surplus of food to sell. The Shakers shared all their work and, to make their lives easier, they createdtools to help in the fields and utensils in the kitchen. To help out in the fields they invented the hay rake, the mower and the plow for agricultural work. They also found many uses for the circular saw and spinning wheel. They found a way to improve the washing machine and clothespins. Shaker farms were laid out very logically, with areas for wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, and herbs. Some of the Shaker communities had places for orchards and strawberry fields. Most of the hard work was done by oxen and horses. The animals used the specially designed plow. The Shakers treated their animals with great care. The Shakers believed that someone's character was partly based on how well they cared for their animals. The animals were constantly cleaned. The Shakers provided good food and shelter for their animals, and their animals were never overworked. The land was also looked after well, rotating crops and controlling pests naturally. Seed packets are a product that Shakers are well known for. They were the first to package seeds in packets. The seed types were easily recognizable from the packaging and were highly reliable. The Shakers gained much recognition and prosperity due to their farms. High efficiency and innovative methods have allowed them to be as successful as before. In the kitchen, food for the entire community was prepared three times a day by a group of cooks. They wanted to get their work done quickly and efficiently, so they made many inventions that would save time in the kitchen. Some of their more creative inventions include the apple corer, the pea splitter, the cheese press, and the double rolling pin. With the use of the apple core and double rolling pin the Shakers could make sixty apple pies in the time it took a housewife to make two or three pies. A rotary kiln was another variation of theirs. The rotary oven could bake sixty pies at a time. Many of the products they sold were made from apples. The Shakers created large quantities of food at one time. Their special cooking style was unique to their communities. The Shakers cooked food without pesticides or chemicals, ensuring the taste of their cuisine. Furthermore, the Shakers usually prepared very heavy foods. To balance the taste, herbs and spices were used to subtly enliven the food. Shakers were among the first to use scientific measurements, using specific measurements, time durations, and temperatures in their cooking. Their recipes were collected in cookbooks sold to people around the world. The shaker meals were simple. They didn't use fancy tableware. Before each meal everyone took fifteen minutes of silence to kneel and say grace. In the early years of Shaker society, meals were eaten in silence. The speaking ban was later lifted. The dining tables were long and simplistic. Food was eaten on simple plates placed on the table, without tablecloths or other fancy objects. Shakers didn't waste food; all leftover food was consumed in the next day's meals. The Shaker house was designed to be functional and easy to maintain. The Shakers were very clean people. The flat broom was an invention of the shakers. The sisters swept the entire house every morning before breakfast. In the afternoon the brothers cleaned the laboratories. To facilitate sweeping they placed wooden pegs in the walls. Most of the furniture could be hung there, so that the furniture would not get in the way while the sisters cleaned. Most of the furniture was recessed into the wall, this helped them to stop.