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The article discusses the history of the Shaker Gathering Order in the U.S. from the late 18th century through the 1920s. An overview of the communal organization of Shaker Gathering Orders, including the roles played by elders, church trustees and deacons, is provided. The Shakers' policy on children, including their raising children from orphan asylums and poorhouses with the hope that they join the Shaker community of Believers, is discussed. An overview of the Shaker community at New Lebanon, New York, including of the families within it, is also provided.

The article discusses the Shaker communities at New Lebanon and Sodus Bay, New York. Sodus Bay was the final community of the eighteen established, founded in 1826. It focuses on early Shakers including Abijah Pelham and his sons Richard and Joseph; Elder Peter Pease, first elder of the North Family in New Lebanon; and Shaker theologian and historian Calvin Green. Other topics include the funding for the purchase of the land that became the base for the Sodus Bay community, the sale of Sodus Bay in 1836 and subsequent move to nearby Groveland, New York, and the appointment of elders at Sodus Bay.