Editing Ann Lee (section)

==Move to America==
[[File:A group of Shakers.jpg|thumb|A group of Shakers, published in 1875]]
In 1774, a revelation led her to take a select band to America. She was accompanied by her husband, who soon afterwards deserted her. Also following her to America were her brother, William Lee (1740–1784); Nancy Lee, her niece; James Whittaker (1751–1787), who had been brought up by Mother Ann and was probably related to her; John Hocknell (1723–1799), who provided the funds for the trip; his son, Richard; James Shepherd; and Mary Partington. These nine members sailed aboard the ''Mariah'', landing in New York City. Mother Ann and her converts arrived on 6 August 1774 after three months of sailing.<ref name=":1" /> They stayed for nearly five years. In 1779, Hocknell leased land at [[Niskayuna, New York|Niskayuna]] in the township of [[Watervliet (town), New York|Watervliet]], near [[Albany, New York|Albany]]. The Shakers settled there, and a unique community life began to develop and thrive.<ref name="Francis2001" /> 

During the [[American Revolution]], Lee and her followers maintained a stance of neutrality. Maintaining the position that they were pacifists, Ann Lee and her followers did not side with either the British or the colonists. This caused contention towards the Shakers due to their refusal to sign an oath of allegiance.

Ann Lee opened her testimony to the world's people on the famous [[New England's Dark Day|Dark Day]] in May 1780, when the sun disappeared and it was so dark that candles had to be lit to see indoors at noon.<ref name="Francis2001" /> She soon recruited a number of followers who had joined the [[Old and New Lights|New Light]] revival at [[New Lebanon, New York]], in 1779, including [[Lucy Wright]].
[[File:MountWashingtonMA BenjaminOsbornHouse.jpg|left|thumb|Benjamin Osborn's house at Mount Washington]]
Beginning in the spring of 1781, Mother Ann and some of her followers went on an extensive missionary journey to find converts in Massachusetts and Connecticut. They often stayed in the homes of local sympathizers, such as the [[Benjamin Osborn House]] near the New York–Massachusetts line. There were also songs attributed to her which were sung without words.<ref>{{cite web|title=Shaker Music|url=http://www.americanmusicpreservation.com/shakermusicseries.htm |publisher=PineTree Productions}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=A guide to Shaker music: with music supplement|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4wYYAQAAIAAJ|year=1999|publisher=Pinetree|author=Roger L. Hall}}</ref> In this mission they converted many, and 18 Shaker villages emerged. Witnesses recorded that she performed many miracles during this time.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

Ann Lee's mission throughout New England was especially successful in converting groups who were already outside the mainstream of New England Protestantism, including followers of [[Shadrack Ireland]]. To the mainstream, however, she was too radical for comfort.<ref>Brekus, ''Strangers and Pilgrims: Female Preaching in America, 1740–1845,'' 343–46.</ref> Ann Lee herself recognized how revolutionary her ideas were when she said, "We [the Shakers] are the people who turned the world upside down."{{dubious|date=September 2020}}

The Shakers were sometimes met by violent mobs, such as in [[Shirley, Massachusetts]], and Ann Lee suffered violence at their hands more than once. The mission came to an end when Ann and her brother William were again attacked by a mob, and badly injured. They returned home greatly weakened. William died over a year later on July 21, 1784.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Ann Lee, A Woman of Great Faith |url=https://www.libertymagazine.org/article/ann-lee-a-woman-of-great-faith |access-date=2023-05-22 |website=www.libertymagazine.org|last=Boyko|first=Boris}}</ref> Ann died only a few months later on September 8, 1784 at the age of 48, likely hastened by the events she had undergone including the loss of her brother.<ref name=":3" /><ref name="Francis2001" /> She died at Watervliet and both William and Ann are buried in the Shaker cemetery located in the [[Watervliet Shaker Historic District]].<ref name="Miller">Landmarks of American women's history, Chapter: Watervliet Shaker Historic District, Page Putnam Miller, Oxford University Press US, 2003, pp. 36 ff.</ref> It was recorded that in her final days, Ann was "singing in unknown tongues"<ref name=":1" /> while sitting in her rocking chair.

The followers of Mother Ann came to believe that she embodied all the perfections of God in female form<ref name="Bishop">Rufus Bishop and Seth Youngs Wells, comps., ''Testimonies of the Life, Character, Revelations and Doctrines of our Ever Blessed Mother Ann Lee'' (Hancock, Massachusetts: J. Talcott and J. Deming, Junrs., 1816); Seth Youngs Wells, comp., ''Testimonies Concerning the Character and Ministry of Mother Ann Lee'' (Albany, N.Y.: Packard and Van Benthuysen, 1827).</ref> and was revealed as the "second coming" of Christ.<ref name="Evans">Frederick William Evans. ''[https://archive.org/details/shakerscompendi00conggoog/page/n32 <!-- pg=26 --> Shakers: Compendium of the Origin, History, Principles, Rules and Regulations, Government, and Doctrines of the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing: with Biographies of Ann Lee, William Lee, Jas. Whittaker, J. Hocknell, J.&nbsp;Meacham, and Lucy Wright]''. Appleton; 1859. p. 26.</ref> The fact that Ann Lee was considered to be Christ's female counterpart was at the time unique, although several women since then have claimed to be Jesus, and have been accepted as such by their followers.

[[File:Mother Ann Lee tombstone 2006.jpg|thumb|Mother Ann Lee's tombstone]]
It is claimed that Shakers in [[Mount Lebanon Shaker Society|New Lebanon, New York]], experienced a 10-year period of revelations in 1837 called the [[Era of Manifestations]]. It was also referred to as ''Mother Ann's Work''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Aune |first1=Michael Bjerknes |last2=DeMarinis |first2=Valerie M. |title=Religious and Social Ritual: Interdisciplinary Explorations |publisher=SUNY Press |year=1996 |isbn=0-7914-2825-7 |page=105}}</ref> However, the Shakers' numbers dwindled with time, and soon the religion gradually all but disappeared. In total 19 official communities were established in the Northeast  additional added in Florida with roughly 6,000 members prior to the Civil War.<ref name=":1" />