Background
Whittaker was born in Oldham, England and became a weaver and a member of the artisan and merchant class.
Whittaker was born in Oldham, England and became a weaver and a member of the artisan and merchant class.
He came to colonial America with Mother Ann Lee, who was one of his relatives and raised him. Whittaker was a powerful orator who drew many people to the Shaker section He became leader following the death of Mother Ann Lee in September 1784.
Under Whittaker’s lead, Shaker communities were formed in New England and the meetinghouse was built at Mount Lebanon in 1785.
Mount Lebanon would go on to become the center for all other Shaker communities, from Maine to Kentucky. Whittaker had suffered from physical abuse and traveled a great deal for the section
Having a premonition of his death, he chose to die at Enfield, Connecticut Shaker community.
