The 1st Shaker society

In 1758, Ann Lee joined a sect founded in 1747 by Jane and James Wardley (her husband), often called the "Shaking Quakers" due to their practices of chanting and dancing for spiritual purification. They believed the Second Coming would be marked by God returning as a woman, and Ann Lee was identified as this figure. This belief earned her the title "Mother" within the movement, which would eventually evolve into the Shaker sect.

Ann Lee, the future "Mother" of the Shakers, led a group to America, in 1774, including her brother William and other followers. They sailed aboard the Mariah, landing in New York City after a three-month voyage. The group settled near Albany at Niskayuna in 1779, where they began to form a thriving community. Ann's husband soon left her, and she never saw him again. Her teachings and leadership led the Shaker sect to establish a unique religious community based on celibacy, communal living, and spiritual fervor. The first Shaker community, originally called "Niskayuna," was established near Albany.  By 1780, the missionary work of the Shakers had attracted many new converts. An extensive series of trips throughout New England from 1781 through 1783 brought in followers across the entire region. Converts began appearing in New Lebanon and Canaan, New York; Hancock, Pittsfield, Richmond, Ashfield, Harvard, and Shirley, Massachusetts; and the states of Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Maine (then part of Massachusetts), among other locations.

The town of Watervliet, established from the Western District of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck, held a significant population and historical importance. Originally settled by Dutch and later other immigrant groups, it saw many towns separated from it over the years, earning the nickname "Mother of Towns." Towns such as Rensselaerville, Coeymans, Bethlehem, and Colonie split from Watervliet in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The town eventually dissolved in 1896, with West Troy becoming the independent city of Watervliet.