Industries and Inventions of the Shakers: Shaker Music, a Brief History

"Industries and Inventions of the Shakers: Shaker Music, a Brief History" by Bertha Lindsay is a record of the Shaker community's creative work and culture, mostly in the 1800s. The book looks at the different jobs the Shakers did, such as growing herbs for medicine, farming, making furniture, and their special music customs and how they learned music. It shows how the Shakers helped with farming, herbal medicines, and making things by hand. Things they made were syrups for medicine, seeds for gardens, and nice wooden items and shows how they were able to take care of themselves and be clever. Later, the book talks about Shaker music, explaining how it changed from just being sung to being taught in school, including using musical notes. It introduces people like Brother Abram Whitney and Eldress Dorothy Durgin, who were important in the history of Shaker music. The book shows how important music was to the Shakers' worship and describes how they worked together and sang hymns to show what they believed in.