Utopian+Communities+MT08

Movement: Utopian Communities
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 * textbook*

Notes:
Utopian communities: a group of people working to establish a perfect society on Earth Shakers: An Amercian religious sect so called because of their tendency to shake their bodies during worship Brook Farm
 * Americans founded some as an extension to their religious beliefs
 * others were based on social philosophies
 * Some societies were based on nonreligious principles.
 * Members worked together on equal basis and jointedly owned all property
 * Many Utopian Communities emphazied equality of men and women
 * Some Utopian Communities allowed people to persure spititual and cooperative lifestyles that were unavailable in the larger society.
 * Only a few were able to keep a long term success
 * Most failed members to cooperate and work together well enough for it to survive
 * they developed their own religious expression
 * founded by Ann Lee, in England in 1758
 * associated with many of the movements of the 19th century
 * Work started as agricultural production but became handcrafts
 * The Hancock Shaker Village considered the center of Shaker authority in America from 1787 until 1947
 * by 1840's it had 6000 members in various communities
 * Shakers banned private ownership of property
 * lived an extremely painful lifestyle
 * made furniture
 * was organized and directed by George Ripley
 * Brook Farm attracted all kinds of people like intellectuals, carpenters, farmers, shoemakers and printers
 * provided to all members, their children and family dependents, housing, fuel, wages, clothing and food
 * The 1846 fire disaster and further financial troubles brought the end of the Brook Farm community the following year

Presentation
Utopia-noun-an ideal place Now the question is: Is a Utopia possible? In the past? Present? Future? I believe so. In the past, take the Shakers for example. They were one of the most successful societies. Started by Ann Lee, in an earlier century, a few Shakers STILL live. But by the 1840's, there were about 6,000 members throughout the the communities. And for similar reasons as the past, I still think Utopias are possible, now and in the future. And even though the world may seem like such a violent place, peace is always a possibility, even in just one area. Back in the 1800s, the Shakers were able to accomplish it, everyone with a similar goal: an ideal place to live. If we follow in their footsteps, we can create a society, just as strong.