Publisher's Synopsis
This book provides an interesting and engaging look at the Shakers, one of the most complex but largely ignored religious groups and one of the most unusual and successful Utopian communities in American history. The book tells the story of the Shakers from their tumultuous beginnings in the eighteenth century to the present day. It provides a broad overview of Shaker history, culture, religion, life, and work, and presents the Shakers against the backdrop of the Civil War, contrasting their peaceful and productive lives with the carnage of America's bloodiest battles. The book details the Shakers' struggle to obtain legal conscientious objector status, a quest that led them all the way to the White House and an audience with President Abraham Lincoln. The book is for anyone interested in the Shakers, their unique way of life, and their world famous furniture and architecture. For Civil War buffs, or for anyone fascinated by the rich life of Abraham Lincoln, the book takes a look at Lincoln from a different point of view -- the Commander-in-Chief of America's bloodiest war seen through the eyes of America's first conscientious objectors. The book also includes brief up-to-date descriptions of all Shaker sites, listed state by state from Maine to Florida. It describes the museums and restored villages, archeological sites, and the all-but-forgotten sites at which few if any traces of the Shakers remain.
