Ann Lee

The leader of the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, better known as the Shakers. She preached that she was the female manifestation of the Christ spirit on Earth, completing the dual nature of God. The Shakers were famous for their practice of total celibacy, communal ownership of property, and ecstatic, "shaking" dance during worship. She taught that "hands to work and hearts to God" was the path to perfection, leading the Shakers to become renowned for their minimalist furniture and agricultural innovations. Her movement was one of the few in history to achieve total gender equality in its leadership and social structure.