They were a branch of Quakers, and in their worship ceremonies became agitated and so gained the name "shaking Quakers," and then "Shakers." They adopted it as a badge of honor, like Obamacare. A Shaker woman invented the circular saw. Shakers also invented the flat broom and the clothespin. If you visit the beautifully restored Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, KY (top picture), you can see how they lived: in beautiful separate houses for men and women. You can rent some of the places.

Because they believed The End was near they were celibate, and added to their flock by accepting orphans or very poor children from the cities. Such children were in plentiful supply in the 19th Century. The believers rose at dawn to fire the ovens to bake bread, and worked until sunset six days a week. They slept on charpoy beds and wore simple clothing that they kept in the beautifully crafted cabinets they build into the bedrooms. Because they were a communal society, everyone prospered from their heartbreakingly hard work, and their produce and preserves were highly valued by the surrounding community.