1802-1804, Autobiographies & Biographies, Barking Exercise, Cane Ridge Meeting House, Dancing Exercise, Other Bodily Exercises & General References, Presbyterians, Running Exercise
“I am awair that those that have never saw these things [the jerks] will be ready to say it is utterly imposable and cannot be true. But who has not seen persons in fits…preform faits [feats] intirely beyand the power of man while in the exercises of reason?”
1802-1804, Autobiographies & Biographies, Falling Exercise, Presbyterians
“But the bodily exercise (as it was called) seemed to change its manner of operation. The falling exercise became not so common, and the jerks succeeded….”
1802-1804, Autobiographies & Biographies, Presbyterians
“A wonderful nervous affection pervaded the [camp] meetings. Some would tremble as if terribly frightened, some would have violent twitching and jerking; others would fall down suddenly as if breathless and lie during hours…. Great disillusion followed.”
1802-1804, Autobiographies & Biographies, Falling Exercise, Ohio History Center, Other Bodily Exercises & General References
“[T]o return to my narrative of the Revival, it now went on with a great increase of numbers, & extended far and wide. The falling exercise continued; also much severe jirking. There were many now converts added….”
1802-1804, Autobiographies & Biographies, Barking Exercise, Barton W. Stone, Christians/Disciples of Christ, Dancing Exercise, Falling Exercise, Laughing Exercise, Other Bodily Exercises & General References
“The jerks cannot be so easily described…. When the whole system was affected, I have seen the person stand in one place, and jerk backward and forward in quick succession, their head nearly touching the floor behind and before…..”
1802-1804, American Antiquarian Society, Autobiographies & Biographies, Methodists, Other Bodily Exercises & General References
“In this year [1804] that strange disorder ‘the jerks’ overran all Western Tennessee. It attacked the righteous and the wicked—an involuntary muscular exercise, which drew the subjects affected backward and forward with a force and quickness perhaps previously unknown to the human family….”