Shaker Family concert program   Save
Ohio History Connection Archives/Library
Description: Program for a Shaker concert given at E. Meyers Hall in Fairfield County, Ohio, on October 20, 1848. The performers were from the Society of Shakers in New Gloucester, Maine. The program included lectures, singing and dancing, as well as appearances by Miss L.A. Palmer, Mr. William Palmer, and Mr. J. Adams. The Shakers were a religious group that originated in Great Britain around 1750, and who believed in celibacy, community, equality of the sexes, simplicity, and humility. They were originally known as "Shaking Quakers" because they commonly trembled in religious fervor during their services. Shakers arrived in America during the 1770s, and reached Ohio in 1805. They established several communities in the state, with the most successful ones at Lebanon and North Union (modern-day Shaker Heights). By 1846, more than four hundred Shakers called Lebanon home. The Shakers established typical communities in Ohio, making productive livings from their orchards, livestock, and other farming activities, as well as from their furniture-making endeavors. By 1900, Ohio's Shakers had virtually disappeared, mainly due to the lack of new converts. As their numbers declined, many Ohio Shakers moved to Shaker communities in other states. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL02700
Subjects: Fairfield County (Ohio); Multicultural Ohio--Religion in Ohio; Dance--Religious aspects--Shakers; Concerts--United States--History--19th century
Places: Fairfield County (Ohio)