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While many Americans were focused on the Western frontier and expanding the nation, other Americans were attempting to perfect human society through a number of utopian communities. Plymouth Colony was founded as a utopian community (1620). The purity and fervor of the puritans proved hard to maintain. The Great Awakening of the 18th century provided a new religious impulse to the developing colonies. The utopian communities established in the United States echoed the Puritans in many ways with the desire to achieve heaven on earth. But there was also some very modern about the utopian communities. They were in fact in many ways an early experiment in socialism before the term was even coined. Curiously despite the American self image of rugged individualism, it was in America that Utopian experiments were pursued with a notable idealism and moral fervor. There were some of these communities in Europe, such as New Lanark in Scotland. But the movement was no where in Europe pursued with the vigor that was notable in America. And often the European movement (the Paris Commune and Fourierist Phalanxes) were more politically oriented than was the case in America. Some of these communities were founded in the 18th century, but the first half of the 19th century gave rise to the founding to quite a wide range of these communities. Many of these communities were communially organized with shared property and wealth. Despite some similarities, they were quite different in goals, methods and achievements. There were both religious-based and secular communities. There were quite a number of these Utopian communities. Perhaps the most successful, certainly the most enduring, were the Shakers. We note two unidentified girls who may be Shakers. Another important group was the Harmonists. Others were individual communities not connected with a larger movement. Perhaps the best known such community was the Oneida Community. Not all of these movements involved communal living. The Mormon's for example, had strong family foundation, although the family was not a standard one because of the polygamy.
Many of the original English colonies were founded as religious utopian societies. This included: Plymouth (Puritans), Pennsylvania (Quakers), New Jersey (Puritans), and Maryland (Catholic). These were of course dissenting sects who objected to efforts of the Establish Church to dictate religious belief. The interesting fact here is that the English Crown which was trying to enforce religious diversity permitted it. At the same time, other countries (France, Portugal, and Spain) were not only brutally stamping out Protestantism domestically, but restricted dissenters from their colonies. The American colonies were conceived as "as plantations of religion." Some settlers of course had secular motives, but the religious motif was very strong. They saw their new colonies as an effort to create "a city on a hill" or a "holy experiment". The Puritans saw them selves as God's chosen people. And while the first few years were very difficult, the colonists soon were so successful that they achieved standards of living above that in England or any other European countries. This seemed to confirm the idea of being the chosen people and America as a very special country. The purity and fervor of the puritans proved hard to maintain, but the basic concept of America as an elect society continued to be very strong. his is a theme that still resonates in American history.
The Great Awakening of the 18th century provided a new religious impulse to the developing colonies. The utopian communities established in the United States echoed the Puritans in many ways with the desire to achieve heaven on earth. The Great Awakening is sometimes glossed over in surveys of American history. It should not be. The Great Awakening was a key phenomenon in the making of the American character. Early colonial America were separate and very different colonies. The Great Awakening swept over each of the 13 English colonies. It was their first common American experience, although it occurred at different times in different places and had its own distinct character in the different colonies. The first two colonies were founded by Anglicans (Jamestown--1609) and Puritans (Plymouth--1620). This was remarkable in that from the beginning both the established church and one of the most steadfast dissenters were part of America. But as settlers moved west and new settlers arrived with their own religious ideas, it became impossible to direct religious life as the Anglican had done with more success in England. Neither the Puritans are the Anglicans were able to successfully transplant the parish system to control religious life on the frontier. And this proved even more difficult with the arrival of the Scots-Irish.
But there was also some very modern about the utopian communities. Many of these communities involved communal property. These were in fact in many ways an early experiment in socialism before the term was even coined. Curiously despite the American self image of rugged individualism, it was in America that Utopian experiments were pursued to a greater extent than any other and with a notable idealism and moral fervor. But the principles of socialism minus the compulsion o a Leninist secret police was put to the test and found wanting.
There were some of these communities in Europe, such as New Lanark in Scotland. But the movement was no where in Europe pursued with the vigor that was notable in America. And often the European movement (the Paris Commune and Fourierist Phalanxes) were more politically oriented than was the case in America.
Humans even in ancient times wondered about creating better more perfect societies. The most famous case in point is Plato's Republic. Scholar's debate Plato's intent. The Republic is Socratic dialogue. Some say it presents the case for a political utopia that should be the organizational base for society. The term utopia did nor exist, although it would be a created term using Greek words. Other scholars offer a more nuanced view of Plato's work. They insist that Plato's Republic is actually a heuristic utopia, meant to demonstrate how applying various principles would lead to problematic results, many entirely unintended. Yet others see the Republic describes an ideal society that while difficult is not impossible to achieve. Americans took the challenge more seriously than any other society until the Russian Revolution (1917), but without a secret police and Gulag. In America, the utopian dreams were voluntarily put to the actual test of reality. More than 100 religious and socialistic communities were founded, primarily in the early 19th century. It was a major test for the utopian concepts . Many were largely socialistic in nature (involving communal property), before socialism was actual formulated by Mark in Das Kapital (1867-94). The American Utopian Movement involved over 100,000 men, women, and children. 【Holloway】 Tragically, almost all ended in total failure. A result that the growing socialist movement in Europe simply ignored.
Some of these communities were founded in the 18th century, but the first half of the 19th century gave rise to the founding to quite a wide range of these communities. Many of these communities were communally organized with shared property and wealth. Despite some similarities, they were quite different in goals, methods and achievements. There were both religious-based and secular communities. There were quite a number of these Utopian communities. Perhaps the most successful, certainly the most enduring, were the Shakers. We note two unidentified girls who may be Shakers. Another important group was the Harmonists. Others were individual communities not connected with a larger movement. Perhaps the best known such community was the Oneida Community. Not all of these movements involved communal living. The Mormon's for example, had strong family foundation, although the family was not a standard one because of the polygamy.
Perhaps the most successful, certainly the most enduring, were the Shakers. We note two unidentified girls who may be Shakers.
Another important group was the Harmonists.
Others were individual communities not connected with a larger movement. Perhaps the best known such community was the Oneida Community.
Not all of these movements involved communal living. The Mormon's for example, had strong family foundation, although the family was not a standard one because of the polygamy.
One American Utopian community was not in America. The American Colony was a established in Jerusalem (1881). he founders were led by Anna and Horatio Spafford. It was founded in East Jerusalem, a neighbor in East Jerusalem is still called the American Colony. They led a small group of Americans to Jerusalem, which at the time was a part of the Ottoman Empire. Their Christian community became known as the "American Colony". They were joined by Swedish Christians. The society committed itself into to philanthropic work in Jerusalem.
They worked in the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities. Palestine at the time was a very poor region, one of the poorest in the Ottoman Empire. Not only was it poor, but the people have little access to modern medicine. The situation deteriorated even more with the onset of World war I. The American Colony carried out extensive philanthropic work to assist the local people as well as Armenians who managed to survive the Turkish Genocide. The Americans sponsored soup kitchens, hospitals, orphanages and various other charitable activities. The American Colony closed (1940s). Some individuals continued to work in charitable activities.
Holloway, Mark. Utopian Communities in America 1680-1880 (Formerly titled Heavens on Earth (2011).
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