Re: U.S. History / U.S. Government / Politics
Posted: May 23, 2008 1:24am
[This post is dedicated to Divine] In response to the PM's about communism, I decided to write this post...
In the 1860's, there were communal experiments in the U.S. which was an attempt to create an ideal society or "utopia." However, these ideas were short lived.
1. Shakers: This was one of the earliest religious communal movements. They had approximately 6,000 members. Men and women were segregated (it was forbidden to marry and procreate). Somewhere around 1900, they died out. However, German Pietists founded The Amana settlements which allowed for marriage to help ensure the survival of their commune.
2. New Harmony: This was a non-religious experiment in New Harmony, Indiana. It's founder was Robert Owen. He hoped his Utopian socialist community would solve the problems of inequality and alienation caused from the Industrial Revolution of the 1800's. Owen's experiment failed due to financial problems and disagreement among members.
3. Oneida Community: John Humphrey Noyes in 1848 started a community in Oneida, New York. This community was dedicated to an ideal of perfect social and economic equality. Members shared their property and later even shared marriage partners. (This community faced a lot of criticism). The community did manage to prosper economically by producing silverware. The community lasted until John Humphrey Noyes attempted to pass the leadership of the Community to his son, Theodore Noyes. Complex Marriage was abandoned in 1879 following external pressures and the community soon broke apart with some of the members reorganizing as a joint-stock company. (And, John Noyes had an arrest warrant out for him for statutory rape. (The stock company still exists today).
4. Fourier Phalanxes: In the 1840's, [many] Americans became interested in the theories of French socialist Charles Fourier. Fourier, to solve the problems of a competitive society, advocated that people work and living arrangements in communities known as "Fourier Phalanxes." The movement died out, however. Americans proved too individualistic to adapt to the communal style of living.
In the 1860's, there were communal experiments in the U.S. which was an attempt to create an ideal society or "utopia." However, these ideas were short lived.
1. Shakers: This was one of the earliest religious communal movements. They had approximately 6,000 members. Men and women were segregated (it was forbidden to marry and procreate). Somewhere around 1900, they died out. However, German Pietists founded The Amana settlements which allowed for marriage to help ensure the survival of their commune.
2. New Harmony: This was a non-religious experiment in New Harmony, Indiana. It's founder was Robert Owen. He hoped his Utopian socialist community would solve the problems of inequality and alienation caused from the Industrial Revolution of the 1800's. Owen's experiment failed due to financial problems and disagreement among members.
3. Oneida Community: John Humphrey Noyes in 1848 started a community in Oneida, New York. This community was dedicated to an ideal of perfect social and economic equality. Members shared their property and later even shared marriage partners. (This community faced a lot of criticism). The community did manage to prosper economically by producing silverware. The community lasted until John Humphrey Noyes attempted to pass the leadership of the Community to his son, Theodore Noyes. Complex Marriage was abandoned in 1879 following external pressures and the community soon broke apart with some of the members reorganizing as a joint-stock company. (And, John Noyes had an arrest warrant out for him for statutory rape. (The stock company still exists today).
4. Fourier Phalanxes: In the 1840's, [many] Americans became interested in the theories of French socialist Charles Fourier. Fourier, to solve the problems of a competitive society, advocated that people work and living arrangements in communities known as "Fourier Phalanxes." The movement died out, however. Americans proved too individualistic to adapt to the communal style of living.
