Don Wildman

And at the same time, you have this notion carried over from Europe of this utopian community.

And this was a very specific thing that we could work it all out.

We still hear about it today.

In many ways, the United States becomes a laboratory of this, where we throw off political tyranny and suddenly become this much more organic place where we're going to learn these new ways of living.

The Shakers are right on top of that, aren't they?

It's very simple when you come right down to what you mentioned, these farm families.

Once you have factories beginning in the cities, especially in New England, you have kids that are saying, I'm not going to do this farming thing.

My own father was a non-farming Quaker in the turn of the 20th century.

He said, no, thanks.

And that breaks up the families, of course.

And that happens on a widespread basis.

And that is directly affecting the feeling of America at the time.

And religion is stepping into that reach.

The Shaker movement peaks in about the mid-19th century.

How many are we talking about?

How many people joined this movement?

Yes.

Well, they had to be attracted to that prosperity that was going on in those communities, I'm sure, for a lot of people.

That was amazing.

What is the era of manifestations?