Ann Lee, an illiterate British woman from Manchester, became the unlikely leader of the radical Christian sect known as the Shakers, taking the movement to America and inspiring thousands of followers. Born in 1736, she grew up in poverty and had no formal education, yet her charisma and progressive ideals—including gender equality, pacifism, and communal living—drew many to her cause.
Lee joined the Wardley Society in Manchester at age 22, a group nicknamed the 'Shaking Quakers' for their ecstatic worship. The Shakers believed the second coming of Christ would be in female form, and that Lee embodied this. After her four children died in infancy, Lee became more active, and in 1770, while imprisoned for disrupting a church service, she had a premonition that celibacy was key to purity—a cornerstone of Shaker belief.
In 1774, Lee and a small group sailed to America, settling near Albany, New York. Their pacifist stance during the Revolutionary War led to accusations of spying, and Lee was imprisoned for refusing to take an oath of loyalty. She died in 1784, possibly from injuries sustained during beatings, but her influence grew; by 1850, there were about 5,000 Shakers in the US.
Lee's legacy includes pioneering social services, sheltering abused women, and freeing enslaved African Americans. A new film, 'The Testament of Ann Lee', starring Amanda Seyfried, offers a speculative retelling of her life, highlighting her radical vision.
