There are just 2 Shakers left in the United States

A Shakers monument.
(Image credit: YouTube.com/SabbathdayLakeShakerVillageMaine)

With the death of Sister Frances Carr, the number of Shakers living in the U.S. is down to two.

Members of the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Coming fled persecution in England, settling in upstate New York in 1747 (critics dubbed them the "Shaking Quakers" because of the way they worshiped at the time). They believe in pacifism, communal ownership, celibacy, and gender equality, and are credited with creating the flat-bottom broom and circular saw. Before the Civil War, there were more than 5,000 followers in 18 communities across 10 states, but the numbers gradually dwindled due to the celibacy of members and the decision to stop accepting orphans into the fold. Now, the only Shaker community is Sabbathday Lake, home to Hadd and 78-year-old Sister June Carpenter. Catherine Garcia

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
YouTube YouTube
Watch On
Explore More
Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.