Overview
This lecture covers the rise of antebellum communal experiments in the U.S., explaining their origins in economic and social upheavals like the Market and Industrial Revolutions, and highlighting major religious and secular utopian communities.
The Market and Industrial Revolutions
- The Market Revolution shifted farming from subsistence (growing to consume) to commercial (growing to sell) due to railroads.
- Rural areas became agricultural suppliers for urban factory centers, linking cities and countryside.
- Increased material living standards, but intensified economic competition and hardship for many farmers.
- The Industrial Revolution led to new urban problems, prompting calls for societal reform or escape.
Utopian and Religious Communal Movements
- Most Americans sought reform, but some groups aimed for radical separation from mainstream society.
- The Second Great Awakening fueled religious enthusiasm and communal experiments.
- Piestic societies stressed religious piety and communal living, rejecting private property.
- Shakers practiced celibacy, lived communally, and performed ritual dances.
- The Oneida Community, led by John Humphrey Noyes, promoted "complex marriage," allowing all members to have relations with each other.
Mormonism: A Lasting Religious Utopia
- Mormonism was founded by Joseph Smith based on revelations compiled in the Book of Mormon.
- Emphasized father-centered households, social order, and close church-state integration.
- Faced persecution and migrated under Brigham Young to Salt Lake City, Utah (the Mormon Exodus).
- Mormons established a lasting community with strong religious influence in Utah.
Secular Utopian Communities
- Brook Farm, linked to transcendentalism, was a small intellectual commune home to members like Nathaniel Hawthorne.
- Robert Owen founded New Harmony in Indiana, a communal factory system with fair labor and provisions for workers.
- New Harmony failed due to internal conflict, but inspired followers called Owenites who criticized capitalist exploitation.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Market Revolution — Shift from subsistence to commercial agriculture and creation of a national economy.
- Utopia — An idealized, "perfect" society, often unattainable.
- Second Great Awakening — Early 1800s religious revival that fueled reform and communal movements.
- Celibacy — Abstaining from sexual relations; a core Shaker belief.
- Complex Marriage — Oneida practice where all members could have relationships with each other.
- Polygamy — Having multiple spouses; practiced by some early Mormons.
- Owenites — Followers of Robert Owen's communal and anti-capitalist ideas.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review textbook (OpenStax U.S. History, Ch. 13, Sec. 2) for further details on each communal group.
- Prepare to compare the goals, structures, and outcomes of different utopian experiments for class discussion.