Research Paper On Ann Lee

Ann Lee or Mother Ann Lee was a religious leader who brought the Shakers from England to the American Colonies. She joined “The Shaking Quakers” in 1758. Ann Lee would come to lead the advance guard of a new era in both religious liberty and toleration. Her beliefs as a Shaker would become to be the first in America to be an advocate for pacifism, abolition of slavery, equality for the sexes, communal ownership of good, and absolute celibacy. I chose to have my research paper on Ann Lee because I find it incredible that at a time where so few women were religious leader, Ann Lee became the leader of one of the most successful utopian societies. I believe that her teachings and preachings were able to shape the principles of what this country

is built on whether it be peaceableness or equality to all sexes and religions.
Ann Lee was born on February 29, 1736, in Manchester, England.

She was the daughter of a blacksmith and tailor who barely made enough money to be able to feed his family. She was the second of eight children. As a child Lee’s parents were not able to afford her an education therefore was illiterate. She started working when was still a fairly young child, completing 3 jobs. She held down jobs at a textile mill, worked as a cutter of hatter’s fur and later she worked as a cook in the Manchester infirmary. There she was notable for her faithfulness, neatness, prudence and economy. She was known to be a serious girl who was not addicted to play. She would often pondered on sins and the world’s

wrongs.
Throughout Ann Lee’s life a significant amount of events occurred in which impacted and influenced the way she viewed the world.

One of the most crucial events in Lee’s life was when she met the Wardley’s. The Wardley’s were both former Quackers. The Wardley’s Society, or the “Shaking Quakers”, had several things in common with the Quakers teachings, such as reliance on “inner light” for the unveiling of spiritual truth. The Wardley’s had been influenced by another group who were millenarian apocalypticists known as the Camisards or French Prophets. From them, the Wardley’s taught about the Second Coming of Christ. Ann Lee felt a sense of attachment with them. Lee would often shout out against sin, which attracted attention towards her from the other members. The Wardley’s were impressed with Lee and thought that she would have great aptitude as a member. Another critical event that she experienced was marriage. On January 5, 1762, her father had pressured her into marrying his apprentice, Abraham Standerin. Over the next several years of their marriage Lee gave birth to four children. All four children died during infancy or early childhood. These tragic and traumatic misfortunes put a toll on Lee’s mental and physical health. Lee was assaulted by guilt as she viewed the death of children as judgements on her concupiscent. This contributed and developed into her disapproval of sexual relations. Lee would advocate for celibacy and the dereliction of marriage. This is where

she differed from the Quakers, who, although believe in gender equality, did not believe in the disallowance of sexuality within marriage. Her husband did not readily accept Lee’s undertake to remain celibate. But neither argumentation nor intervention was able to persuade his wife to thwart her intentions. Shockingly, Standerin decided to stay and join the Shakers himself.
During her activities with the Shakes, Lee was arrested on several occasions for “disturbing the peace”. While she was in jail, Lee was convinced of the religious ideas that she had perceived in a vision. She claimed that “by a special manifestation of divine light the present testimony of salvation and eternal life was full revealed to her.” By her to the society, “by whom from that time was acknowledged as mother in Christ, and by them was called Mother Ann.” She is now known as Mother Ann. On a different occasion, a mob had dragged Ann out and threw her into confinement. Her cell, however, was accessible to the street. One of her followers names James Whittaker reported to Ann saying that he had a vision of a large tree in America, where every leaf seemed like a burning torch. To Mother Ann, she believed that this meant the second Shakers church had to be established in America. Lee managed to convince her dad, husband, brother and a few other followers to go to America. Soon after arriving in America, her husband deserted her for drinking. They stayed in New York City to earn enough money to be able to purchase land. In 1779 John Hocknell, a fellow Shaker, leased land at Niskayuna and the Shakers settled there. In the spring of 1781, Mother Ann and her followers went to Massachusetts and Connecticut for a missionary trip. Their goal being to find new converts. The followers of Mother Ann believe that she embodied the complete perfections of god in female form. The Shakers sometimes encountered brutal mobs, and Mother Ann had fell in the hands of these violences more than once. As a result of these hardships, Mother Ann became infirm and eventually died on September 8th 1784.
Mother Ann was regarded as an empowered female individual. Throughout all her hardships that she had to face she still managed to accomplish her goal. Shakerism was well-established in the East and it had later also advanced to Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. Lee is regarded as an advocate and pioneer for justice and equality. She exampled the equality of the sexes, economic justice, religious tolerance, and true democracy.