Christian Goodwillie Director and Curator of Special Collections and Archives, Hamilton College By this Author Jan 03, 2026 The celibate, dancing Shakers were once seen as a threat to society — 250 years later, they're part of the sound of AmericaThe trailer for the film "The Testament of Ann Lee" is riveting and unsettling — just as the celibate Shakers were to the average observer during their American emergence in the 1780s. Fascination with the Shakers is enduring, as are they.
