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Created by Mr. Steve Hauprich for acceleration and remediation of US History students

19th century Utopian Communities in Americaattempted to transcend social and

political division in Americathrough experimental living arrangements,

new philosophies,and Altruism.

Many utopian experimenters weretranscendentalists who rejected

John Locke’s theories that “knowledgecomes to the mind through the senses”…

they were seeking truth through alternativemindsets and actions…seeking the inner light. (American Pageant p. 348)

One of the better known erudite utopiancommunities was Brook Farm in Massachusetts

which had an influence on the lives oftranscendental thinkers like

Emerson, Fuller, and Hawthorne.

Shakers were a more widespread groupwho practiced abstinence in their

devotion to attaining deeperspiritual awakening.

New Harmony in Indiana was established bytransplanted Rappites and Owenites from

earlier utopian communities in Pennsylvania,achieving acclaim for their economic success.They believed in free Education and theAbolition of social class distinctions.

The Oneida Community was based on complex marriage, mutual criticism, and technological innovation.

These communities generallypracticed an openness to discarding prejudices

of the past, which of coursesubjected them to criticismfrom the more traditional

mainstream society.

Utopian movements were Greatly misunderstood, and More mainstream society wasPerhaps paranoid about theirPotential impact on morality.