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Through their stomachs: Shakers, food, and business practices in the nineteenth century

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / When the Shakers arrived in revolutionary America, colonists regarded them with suspicion and hostility. A century later, Americans viewed Shakers as models of agricultural excellence, morality, and healthy living. Although Shaker material culture has long been a subject of fascination for cultural historians, much of the scholarship has focused on Shaker furniture, crafts, and architecture. This dissertation examines the primacy of food in the establishment and growth of Shakerism. Drawing on relatively untapped Shaker sources, including newsletters and advertising collateral, as well as cookbooks, daily journals, and visitor accounts, it demonstrates how food provided the economic basis for their communities and established the Shaker reputation for excellence. Moreover, it underscores the importance of food in developing Americans' regard and respect for the Shakers, despite the sect's unusual lifestyle and unorthodox beliefs. [TRUNCATED]

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/32039
Date January 2012
CreatorsMurray, Ruth Ann
PublisherBoston University
Source SetsBoston University
Languageen_US
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis/Dissertation
RightsThis work is being made available in OpenBU by permission of its author, and is available for research purposes only. All rights are reserved to the author.

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