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Dominican University of California

In Search of the Perfect Society: Three Utopian Communities in Nineteenth-Century Amererica

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

<p>The nineteenth century was an era marked by rapid change in American society. This thesis examines the rise in utopian communities during this era and the specific societal conditions that led to their development. Three utopian communities are analyzed in detail: Brook Farm (1841-1847) founded by George Ripley in Massachusetts; Oneida (1848-1881) founded by John Humphrey Noyes in New York; and Fountaingrove (1876- 1900) founded by Thomas Lake Harris in California. These communities are discussed as examples of the confluence of religious changes wrought by the Second Great Awakening, the impact of industrialization including the Panic of 1837, and the growth of the women’s rights movement in nineteenth-century America.</p>

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Arts
Level thesis:degree_level
Master's Thesis
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Humanities
Year
2004

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Perle, Megan
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Martin Anderson, JD, PhD
  • James Boitano, PhD

Subjects

dc:subject × 2

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:scholar.dominican.edu:humanities-print-theses-1244

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Dominican University of California
Base URL
scholar.dominican.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Perle, Megan. In Search of the Perfect Society: Three Utopian Communities in Nineteenth-Century Amererica. Master's Thesis thesis, 2004. https://scholar.dominican.edu/humanities-print-theses/245