AMSCO 2020

Brook Farm and Communal Experiments

  • Brook Farm: Established in 1841, was a utopian community in Massachusetts.

    • Key figures: Margaret Fuller (feminist writer), Theodore Parker (theologian), Nathaniel Hawthorne (novelist).

    • Effectively ended in 1849 due to fire and debts.

    • Known for its artistic creativity, innovative schooling, and appeal to the intellectual elite.

  • Other Communal Experiments: Many intentional communities emerged during antebellum years to create ideal societies.

    • The concept of utopia was widespread with over a hundred communities in the U.S.

    • Early Latter-day Saints exemplified a religious communal effort.

    • Brook Farm was a secular example, showcasing diverse reform ideas.

The Shakers and Other Communities

  • Shakers: One of the first religious communal movements with about 6,000 members in the 1840s.

    • Practiced communal ownership of property, forbidding marriage and sexual relations.

    • Their communities dwindled by the mid-1900s due to lack of new recruits.

  • Amana Colonies: Established by German Pietists in Iowa; emphasized communal living but allowed marriage.

  • New Harmony: Founded by Robert Owen, aimed to solve inequity from the Industrial Revolution, but failed due to financial issues and internal conflicts.

  • Oneida Community: Founded by John Humphrey Noyes in New York in 1848.

    • Promoted social and economic equality with shared property and cooperative child-rearing.

    • Criticized for experimenting with "free love" but succeeded economically through high-quality silverware production.

  • Fourier Phalanxes: Based on Charles Fourier’s socialist ideas; quickly faded as individualism prevailed.

Arts and Literature of the Era

  • The Age of Jackson inspired movements in the arts, literature, and architecture, reflecting democratic and reform impulses.

Painting

  • Genre Painting: Focused on ordinary life, e.g., works by George Caleb Bingham and William S. Mount.

  • Hudson River School: Artists like Thomas Cole and Frederick Church emphasized America’s landscapes; promoted romantic appreciation of nature.

Architecture

  • Adapted classical Greek styles to symbolize democracy; public buildings reflected this through columned facades.

Literature

  • Post-War of 1812 nationalism fueled demand for American themes:

    • Washington Irving: "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" showcased American settings.

    • James Fenimore Cooper: Authored "Leatherstocking Tales," glorifying frontier scouts.

    • Nathaniel Hawthorne: Critiqued American conformity in works like The Scarlet Letter.

    • Herman Melville: Explored moral conflicts in Moby-Dick.

    • Edgar Allan Poe: Addressed human irrationality in poems and short stories like "The Raven" and "The Tell-Tale Heart."

Emergence of New American Culture

  • By examining how societal changes fueled arts and literature, the United States cultivated a distinct culture during this era.

Key Terms and Themes

  • Public Confidence: Reflected cultural nationalism, emphasizing a collective identity.

  • Alternative Groups: Communal movements and ideologies shaping society.

  • New Ideas: Romanticism and Transcendentalism, with figures like Emerson and Thoreau promoting self-reliance and nature appreciation.

Exam Preparation Questions

  1. Why did a new American culture develop between 1800 and 1848?

  2. What characterized this emerging culture?