Don Wildman

And he also edited Shakers at the Center, manifesting spirits and spectacles in 19th century America.

Fascinating.

Professor Winiarski, you accomplished man.

Welcome to American History Hit.

Thanks for having me.

We've all heard of the furniture.

Many of us sit upon it.

The elegant lines of a shaker table, the chairs, the architecture.

But that all grows out of something much larger, a sweeping religious movement that rose in the 18th and 19th centuries, which once built communities across America with membership in the thousands.

What exactly was shakerism and who were the first to practice it?

Headline right up front there.

I mean, that's what everybody sort of knows about Shakers, but I didn't realize it was so central to the original founders of that idea.

Let me back up just a little bit.

The Wardley Society in England, understanding all of this is happening against the backdrop of rising industrialism in England, all of the pressures of urbanization and this new kind of society is being built at the time.

Religion enters into that, just as it does later on with American society.

Worldly society believes that Christ's spirit could appear again in a new human vessel.

Not unusual.

Radical confession of sin.

Equality of men and women in spiritual leadership, which is very important to the discussion today.

And a coming millennial kingdom of God.