History of American Socialisms. John Humphrey Noyes

1842. Ohio Phalanx 11 1844–5. Oneida Community 27 1847. One-mentian Community 6 1843. Ontario Phalanx 1 1844. Owen, Robert 25 Prairie Home Community 23 1844. Raritan Bay Union 5 1853. Sangamon Phalanx 1 1845. Shakers 93 1776. Skaneateles Community 18 1843–6. Social Reform Unity 23 1842. Sodus Bay Phalanx 3 1844. Spiritual Community at Mountain Cove 3 1853. Spring Farm Association 3 1846–9. St. Louis Reform Association 1 1851. Sylvania Association 25 1843–5. Trumbull Phalanx 13 1844–7. United Germans 2 1827. Venezuelan Experiment 25 1844–6. Warren, Josiah, Time Store &c. 11 1842. Washtenaw Phalanx 1 1843. Wisconsin Phalanx 21 1844–50. Wright, Frances 9 Wilkinson, Jemima, and her Community 5 1780. Yellow Springs Community 1 1825. Zoar 8 1819.

      On general survey of the matter contained in this index, we may begin to sort it in the following manner:

      First we will lay aside the antique religious Associations, such as the Dunkers, Moravians, Zoarites, &c. We count at least seven of these, which do not properly belong to the modern socialistic movement, or even to American life. Having their origin in the old world, and most of them in the last century, and remaining without change, they exist only on the outskirts of general society.

      Next we put out of account the foreign Associations, such as the Brazilian and Venezuelan experiments. With these may be classed those of the Icarians and some others, which, though within the United States, are, or were, really colonies of foreigners. We see six of this sort in the index.

      Thirdly, we dismiss two or three Spiritualistic attempts that are named in the list; first, because they never attained to the dignity of Associations; and secondly, because they belonged to a later movement than that which Macdonald undertook to record. The social experiments of the Spiritualists should be treated by themselves, as the sequelæ of the Fourier excitement of Macdonald's time.

      The Associations that are left after these exclusions, naturally fall into two groups, viz.; those of the Owen movement, and those of the Fourier movement.

      Robert Owen came to this country and commenced his experiments in Communism in 1824. This was the beginning of a national excitement, which had a course somewhat like that of a religious revival or a political campaign. This movement seems to have culminated in 1826; and, grouped around or near that year, we find in Macdonald's list, the names of eleven Communities. These were not all strictly Owenite Communities, but probably all owed their birth to the general excitement that followed Owen's labors, and may therefore, properly be classified as belonging to the Owen movement.

      Fourierism was introduced into this country by Albert Brisbane and Horace Greeley in 1842, and then commenced another great national movement similar to that of Owenism, but far more universal and enthusiastic. We consider the year 1843 the focal period of this social revival; and around that year or following it within the forties, we find the main group of Macdonald's Associations. Thirty-four of the list may clearly be referred to this epoch. Many, and perhaps most of them, never undertook to carry into practice Fourier's theories in full; and some of them would disclaim all affiliation with Fourierism; but they all originated in a common excitement, and that excitement took its rise from the publications of Brisbane and Greeley.

      Confining ourselves, for the present, to these two groups of Associations, belonging respectively to the Owen movement of 1826 and the Fourier movement of 1843, we will now give a brief statistical account of each Association; i.e., all we can find in Macdonald's collection, on the following points: 1, Locality; 2, Number of members; 3, Amount of land; 4, Amount of debt; 5, Duration. We give the amount of land instead of any other measurement of capital, because all and more than all the capital of the Associations was generally invested in land, and because it is difficult to distinguish, in most cases, between the cash capital that was actually paid in, and that which was only subscribed or talked about.

      As to the reliability of these statistics, we can only say that we have patiently picked them out, one by one, like scattered bones, from Macdonald's heap. Though they may be faulty in some details, we are confident that the general idea they give of the attempts and experiences of American Socialists, will not be far from the truth.

      Experiments of the Owen Epoch.

      Blue Spring Community; Indiana; no particulars, except that it lasted "but a short time."

      Co-operative Society; Pennsylvania; no particulars.

      Coxsackie Community; New York; capital "small;" "very much in debt;" duration between 1 and 2 years.

      Forrestville Community; Indiana; "over 60 members;" 325 acres of land; duration more than a year.

      Franklin Community; New York; no particulars.

      Haverstraw Community; New York; about 80 members; 120 acres; debt $12,000; duration 5 months.

      Kendal