In the late eighteenth century a small Shaker community travelled to America under the leadership of ‘Mother Ann’ Lee. The American communities they founded were based on ideals of pacifism, celibacy and gender equality. The Shakers’ philosophy and theological ideas were expressed in their publications, but the realities of day-to-day life in their communities remained relatively hidden. The texts included in this edition come from first-hand accounts of life in the Shaker communities during the nineteenth century. The early years of the century saw a revivalist fervour, attested to in many of the accounts from this time. The 1830s and 1840s were the peak years of American communal experimentation, with more and more people feeling the call of community life. The wide geographical spread of the communities is reflected in the sources in this collection, and the even split between male and female Shakers helps to provide as inclusive a picture of life in a Shaker community as possible. Full editorial apparatus is used to provide historical context for the sources, the majority of which are unpublished.

This unique resource will allow scholars to research an untapped seam of material. It will be of value to those studying American religious and social history as well as nineteenth-century American society more widely.