A Shaker's Answer to the Oft-repeated Question, "What Would Become of the World If All Should Become Shakers?"

Published in 1868, this pamphlet by Richard W. Pelham was a tactical response to one of the most frequent theological and social critiques leveled at the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing. During the mid-19th century, the Shakers faced constant scrutiny regarding their practice of celibacy; outsiders often argued that if everyone adopted their lifestyle, humanity would cease to exist within a generation. Pelham, a prominent Shaker leader and apologist, utilized this writing to clarify the sect’s position on reproduction and human destiny.

Pelham designed the text as a logical rebuttal, framing Shaker life not as a threat to human survival but as a higher spiritual calling. The work reflects the broader literary tradition of the Shakers, who were prolific publishers of tracts intended to demystify their communal lifestyle and defend their pacifist, celibate values to a skeptical public. The pamphlet serves as an essential primary document for understanding how the community reconciled their internal spiritual tenets with the external societal pressures of 19th-century America.