A utopian community is a group of closely assembled people united by common ideals and beliefs that live together, support each other, and share work, lands, and profit. Utopian communities were a new social phenomenon that arose in America in the nineteenth century. They quickly became popular, grew, and spread until the beginning of the twentieth century, and were distinguished by unique social and religious ideals.
There were different kinds of utopian communities, since, for instance, some of them were inspired by transcendentalism, and some united their people into a complex marriage, while others had completely different rules. The reason they were springing up and started promising a better life were some historical events. In America, there was an economic slump that was plaguing the nation since Andrew Jackson’s presidency in the mid-1830s. Exactly that crisis provoked people to begin to unite in ideological groups and support each other.
The North American Phalanx (NAP) was brought to New Jersey by Albert Brisbane and became one of the forty American communities that were inspired by the philosophy of Charles Fourier, French socialist. According to Francese, it “had bustled with activity from 1843 to 1855” and “offered a highly successful communal alternative to the competition of capitalism” (165). In the phalanx, there were separate living quarters for families and single people, a common dining room, and recreation facilities. In NAP, socialized economic relations were developing, private property was banned, and people in the community managed the business and worked together, and shared profit from gardens, fields, and nurseries. This process was organized so precisely that no one in the community had to do something he or she did not want to. In that phalanx, socialist methods of distribution and production were created and supported.
The success of the NAP lied in the fact that its lands were some of the most productive in New Jersey, and the community lasted longer than any other of the forty Fourier’s communities (Francese 165). The level of life there was much higher than in other phalanxes. The NAP had flour and mustard mills, founded the first tomato cannery in the state, and sold the first packaged cereals. It was unique because people were obliged to participate in physical tasks, try to spend much time on them, and arouse empathy for others.
Despite the success of the commune, many people did not understand such a philosophy and accused community members of immorality. On September 13, 1854, a fire engulfed several buildings of the NAP and destroyed them. The people who lived there were counting on the insurance company, but it was unable to pay the damages. As there was not enough money for repairing the buildings, in 1855, the phalanx was disbanded, people split their property, and left (Francese 166). However, it is hard to disagree that among all of the other similar communities the NAP was one of the most successful and would have existed longer if it were not for other people’s misunderstanding and prejudices.
Nowadays, the NAP would be able to exist as there is a number of similar communities all over the world. People still unite in groups, live together, usually on farms, and share any losses and achievements. However, the success of modern utopian communities is impossible to predict. As for me, I would not like to live in such communities as it is rather hard to share work and profit and depend on many other people.
Work Cited
Francese, Carl. “The North American Phalanx.” A Mosaic of America, vol. 1, 1989, pp. 165-166.