The purpose of this study is to present an example of a Shaker teacher-musician whose thinking and activities exemplified those Shakers living in the "western" Shaker societies of Ohio and-Kentucky. Oliver C. Hampton is that person. Hampton was a teacher, musician, composer, poet, writer of prose, elder, and trustee of the Union Village, Whitewater, and North Union, Ohio societies. Historians do not rank Hampton and his several teacher-musician friends as highly as other, better-known Shaker leaders. Nevertheless, Hampton and his colleagues contributed much to the betterment of their fellow Shakers' lives through their considerable efforts.Chapter Two gives the reader a brief historical background to enable him better to understand the beginnings of this unique religious movement.Chapter.Three deals with Shaker attitudes on religion, education, and music. The philosophy of these facets of Shaker life are explored because these attitudes affected everything the Shakers did.Chapter Four gives details of the life of Oliver C. Hampton. His personality is set forth. His responsibilities as elder, teacher, and musician are discussed. Thirty examples of Oliver Hampton's hymns and laboring songs are briefly analyzed from the singer's perspective.Chapter Five discusses Susanna M. Brady, the Rupes, and other musicians and teachers of the Ohio and Kentucky societies.Chapter Six gives a brief summary of the contributions of Oliver Hampton and his friends in the Ohio and Kentucky Shaker societies.Appendices further illustrate the musical, poetic, and prose efforts of Hampton, the Rupes, Brady, and others. Appendix A lists all Shaker teachers and musicians found by the writer. Appendix B is an article by Hampton as published in The Shaker. Appendix C contains the thirty musical examples of Hampton as copied from the originals and then transcribed by the author. Appendix D lists the musical examples contained in the paper and where they may be found. Appendix E contains music attributed to the Rupes and Brady. Appendix F is a set of three photographs, including one of Hampton.