Wonderful documentary - shame that the interviewee at the end of the documentary was incorrect on a number of pivotal points regarding the Shakers. They have a marvellous history & had a wonderful social vision...as Engles said "remember the shakers"🥰
@@noelleangelus Not necessarily incorrect but she seemed to imply the death of the Shaker religion was mainly due to the decreasing amount of people following religion at the time/ people using it as a means to escape poverty. The Shakers were well known for taking in orphans and the homeless, they basically had a drobox for babies. That was not the cause of their downfall. Also I'm sure the decrease in the following of religion was involved but complete celibacy for most followers of Christianity even when it was more popular was completely unrealistic. When an entire community is not allowed to have children, the numbers start to drop. They could only recruit people through proselytism. The industrial revolution also made many of their business practices obsolete and their wealth began to drop. This video is quite old but this is a very odd and brief answer from the Executive Director of the Shaker Historical society.
Media preservation is awesome.
I think the celibacy was perhaps the most difficult rule, though they did adopt many unwanted children. They had so many good and moral rules.
Wonderful documentary - shame that the interviewee at the end of the documentary was incorrect on a number of pivotal points regarding the Shakers. They have a marvellous history & had a wonderful social vision...as Engles said "remember the shakers"🥰
What is incorrect....?
these historical society's really don't like talking about Engels's use of the Shakers as a successful example for communism.
@@noelleangelus Not necessarily incorrect but she seemed to imply the death of the Shaker religion was mainly due to the decreasing amount of people following religion at the time/ people using it as a means to escape poverty. The Shakers were well known for taking in orphans and the homeless, they basically had a drobox for babies. That was not the cause of their downfall. Also I'm sure the decrease in the following of religion was involved but complete celibacy for most followers of Christianity even when it was more popular was completely unrealistic. When an entire community is not allowed to have children, the numbers start to drop. They could only recruit people through proselytism. The industrial revolution also made many of their business practices obsolete and their wealth began to drop. This video is quite old but this is a very odd and brief answer from the Executive Director of the Shaker Historical society.