HIST 190 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Owenism, Teetotalism, Democratic Republic
Document Summary
The market revolution and the spread of republican democracy caused many to grow interested in the social politics of the day. Politics often formed through social organizations and institutions- the church, political associations, fraternal orders, etc. These groups began to envision the possibility of utopian societies, which caused many reform movements to overlap. Many of the utopian reforms were a reaction to changing culture brought about by the market revolution. In a reaction to the individualism brought on by the market, terms such as socialism and communism begin to emerge. Religion, rejection of individualism, and equality were common themes of many of the reform movements. Shakers tried to form a utopian society in which men and women were spiritual equals but separate -sexual purity was stressed. Individuals would dance at religious services giving them their names. Oneida community believed that moral perfection was attainable, and that each community was a holy family.
