American Civ: The Shakers

The site for the Shaker Village in Hancock, Massachusetts, a nonprofit "that preserves and presents to the public the Shakers' legacy at their community....The Shaker Central Ministry closed the community in 1960," has a virtual tour of the grounds, a history of the Shaker social and religious movement in America, a bibliography (from 2001), a Hancock community census, and related data. Ken Burns American Stories: The Shakers, meanwhile, a companion to a 1984 PBS doc about "the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing,...[who] because of their ecstatic dancing...[were called] Shakers. Though they were celibate, they are the most enduring religious experiment in American history. They believed in pacifism, natural health and hygiene." The site includes a timeline (1736-2002), background info, video clips, plus material for educators, who afterward, given the ultimate outcome of the Shaker trial run, may have a harder time making the case for abstinence.
Hancock Shaker Village:
<http://www.hancockshakervillage.org/>
Ken Burns American Stories:
<http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/shakers/>