New Harmony Utopia

New Harmony
One of the first and most influential utopian communities in the United States. Robert Owen was the preeminent utopian thinker of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Owen rebelledagainst the “trinity of evils:” private property, irrational systems of religion, and marriage founded on property and religion. Owen introduced the trade school to the US, stressing practical trainingand character building rather than classical education. But Owen’s character indoctrination irked many parents who rarely saw their children during their years of schooling when Owen would “shieldchildren from the unwanted negative influence of their parents and families.” And although Owen stressed gender equality, girls only studied home economics and had little influence in the politics of NewHarmony.
Harmonist Society History
Johann Georg Rapp was born on November 1, 1757 in the village of Iptingen in the then province of Württemberg. Rapp, inspired by the writings of 17th-centuryGerman mystic Jakob Boehme and by Pietist and Anabaptist thought, became convinced that the individual can communicate directly with God, and the Layman can interpret the Word of God himself. For holdingservices in his Iptingen home and attracting followers with his unacceptable Anabaptist concepts, Rapp was briefly imprisoned and fined in 1791.By 1798, and particularly through formulating Articlesof Faith in the "Lomersheimer Declaration,"In July 1803, Rapp and his son Johannes, Dr. Christoph Müller, and Dr. Frederick Haller sailed for America to find a location where his followers might enjoythe blessings of religious freedom.On May 1, 1804 the first 300 of Rapp's followers left Germany on the "Aurora".The last contingent reached America on September 19, 1804 on the "Margaret".* In thebeginning the followers were scattered, for a location for the community had not yet been found.
Harmony, Pennsylvania|
Growth was slow at first, for the group was relatively poor and did not...