The Shakers were members of the United Society of Believers at the time of Christ's second appearance. They were one of many utopian farming communities of the early 1800s. The Shakers were more than a farming group, they were dedicated to a life of perfection. They invented many time-saving tools and machines and created distinctive styles of architecture, furniture, and crafts. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The Shakers began in England. The Shaking Quakers were a small branch of the radical English Quakers. They were known for their liveliness, shaking, shouting, dancing and singing during their religious rituals. While living in Manchester, the Shakers were persecuted for their actions during their early years. Soon a woman named Ann Lees came to join the Shakers and joined them shortly after. The deaths of her four children, three dying in infancy and the fourth in infancy, had much to do with Ann's decision to join the group. Her past experiences with men had also heavily influenced her decision. After joining the Shakers, Ann Lees became known as Ann Lee. Ann had a strong belief in celibacy, which became the central nature of the Shakers. As Ann became more and more outspoken over time, the meetings began to become more lively. The meetings were so extreme that Ann was sent to prison for desecrating the Sabbath. Upon her release from prison, Ann claimed to have visions of Christ. Ann and other Shakers believed she was the second incarnation of Christ. Soon after, Ann Lee became known as Mother Ann. In 1774, Ann Lee and nine of her followers settled in Niskeyuna, New York. After a few years, things began to improve and Mother Ann finally began to recruit followers. In 1784, Mother Ann died. At the time of his death, the Shakers society had approximately one hundred members. After Ann's death, James Whittaker took over the organization. Father James continued the Shaker community. He rounded up the new Shakers and isolated them in their own villages; here they were far from the evils of the world. Father James tried to formalize the rules, he introduced the evangelical orders. The main ideas of the evangelical orders were to separate the sexes. Adult men, women and children each have their own “family”. Gender separation was taken to a new level when men and women had to exit through separate doors. All property was shared among the entire group. Father James' leadership did not last very long: he died in 1787. Elder Joseph Meacham and Eldress Lucy Wright became the new leaders of the Shakers. Their spiritual headquarters 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 1826, eighteen Shaker villages were active. The group reached its peak in the 1840s, when it had nearly 6,000 members in its church. After this, the group began to dwindle as their singleness prevented the children from continuing the group. Their numbers dropped to around 1,000 in the early 1900s. Today, only a few survivors remain. The Shakers were a very successful group of people. One of the reasons why they have been so successful is their innovative innovations, which have allowed them to work very efficiently.Through their inventions, they created new markets for everyone. They sold packaged seeds, dried fruits and surplus fresh produce to foreigners. This led to a surplus of food to sell. The Shakers shared all their work and, to make life easier, they made tools to help in the fields and cooking utensils. To help in the fields, they invented the hay rake, the mower and a plow for working on the farm. They also found many uses for the circular saw and spinning wheel. They found a way to improve the washing machine and clothes pegs. Shaker farms were laid out very logically, with areas for wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, and herbs. Some Shaker communities had 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 a person's character was based in part on how they cared for their animals. The animals were constantly cleaned. The Shakers provided good food and housing for their animals, and they were never overworked. Even the land was well maintained, thanks to crop rotation and natural pest control. Seed packets are a product that Shakers are well known for. They were the first to package their seeds in sachets. The seed types were easily recognizable on the packaging and were very reliable. The Shakers gained great recognition and prosperity through their farms. Great efficiency and innovative methods have allowed them to be so successful. In the kitchen, food for the entire community was prepared three times a day by a group of cooks. They wanted to do their jobs quickly and efficiently, so they made many inventions that would save them time in the kitchen. Some of their most creative inventions include the apple corer, pea cutter, cheese press and double rolling pin. Using the apple corer and double rolling pin, the Shakers could make sixty apple pies in the time it would take a housewife to make two or three. A rotating kiln was another of their variations. The rotating oven could bake sixty pies at a time. Most of the products they sold were made from apples. The Shakers created large quantities of food at a time. Their particular style of cooking was unique to their communities. The Shakers cooked food without pesticides or chemicals, ensuring their cooking tasted great. Additionally, Shakers typically prepared very heavy foods. To balance the taste, herbs and spices were used to subtly enhance the dishes. Shakers were among the first to use scientific measurements, using specific measurements, times and temperatures when cooking them. Their recipes were collected in cookbooks sold around the world. The shaker meals were simple. They didn't use fancy tableware. Before each meal, everyone took fifteen minutes of quiet time to kneel and say grace. In the early years of Shaker society, meals were eaten in silence. Later, the ban on speaking was lifted. The dining tables were long and simplistic. Food was eaten on simple plates placed on the table, without tablecloths or other fancy items. The shakers did not waste food; all the food that remained was consumed in the.