Oneida Community

Definition

The Oneida Community was a 19th-century Christian communal society established in Oneida, New York. It was founded on the principles of perfectionism, complex marriage, and communal property, representing a unique experiment in communal living during the Antebellum period in the United States.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Oneida Community was founded in 1848 by John Humphrey Noyes, who believed in the possibility of achieving Christian perfection on Earth.
2. The community practiced complex marriage, where all members were considered married to one another, rejecting traditional monogamous marriage.
3. The Oneida Community emphasized the importance of self-control and sexual restraint, including the practice of 'male continence' to prevent procreation.
4. The community was known for its successful economic ventures, including the manufacture of animal traps and silverware, which funded its communal way of life.
5. The Oneida Community disbanded in 1881 after facing increasing external criticism and internal conflicts, with members eventually transitioning to a joint-stock company.

Review Questions

• Describe the key principles and practices of the Oneida Community that made it a unique communal experiment during the Antebellum period.
  • The Oneida Community was founded on the principles of perfectionism, complex marriage, and communal property ownership. It practiced a system of group marriage where all members were considered married to one another, rejecting traditional monogamous marriage. The community also emphasized self-control and sexual restraint, including the practice of 'male continence' to prevent procreation. These radical social and religious beliefs, combined with their successful economic ventures, made the Oneida Community a highly distinctive communal experiment during the Antebellum era in the United States.
• Analyze the factors that contributed to the eventual dissolution of the Oneida Community in 1881.
  • The Oneida Community faced increasing external criticism and internal conflicts that led to its dissolution in 1881. The community's unconventional practices, such as complex marriage and sexual restraint, drew significant public scrutiny and opposition. Additionally, internal tensions arose as some members sought to move away from the community's strict religious and social principles. The transition to a joint-stock company structure was a pragmatic response to these challenges, as the community sought to adapt to changing social and economic realities while preserving its core values and economic success.
• Evaluate the Oneida Community's legacy and its broader significance within the context of Antebellum communal experiments in the United States.
  • The Oneida Community stands as a unique and influential example of the Antebellum communal experiments that sought to create alternative social and economic structures based on religious and philosophical principles. Despite its controversial practices, the community's success in establishing a thriving economic enterprise and its commitment to ideals of perfectionism and communal living made it a significant and enduring experiment in communal living. The Oneida Community's legacy continues to be studied and debated by historians, sociologists, and scholars interested in the diverse social and religious movements that emerged during the Antebellum period in the United States.

Related terms

Perfectionism:

The belief that individuals can achieve spiritual perfection in this lifetime through dedicated effort and divine grace.

Complex Marriage: A system of group marriage practiced by the Oneida Community, where all members were considered married to one another.

Communal Property: The shared ownership of all property and resources within the Oneida Community, with no individual private ownership.