The Oneida Communityin New York State was founded by John Humphrey Noyes in 1848.Claiming to be Christian ‘socialists’, possessions were held in common, men and women had equal voice in the governance of the community property, and a community nursery provided care for infants and children so that both parents could work.The community produced a weekly newspaper (the ‘Circular’, later renamed ‘The American Socialist’) and the community grew to a population of 306 by 1878.
Trading
The community was self-supporting, and after several false starts developed a series of profitable enterprises. The main industries were growing and canning of fruit and vegetables, production of silk thread, and manufacture of animal traps (the community became the primary supplier of animal traps to the Hudson Bay Company).Secondary industries included manufacture of leather travel bags, weaving of palm frond hats, construction of rustic garden furniture, and tourism.
Every community member was expected to work according to his or her abilities. Although more skilled jobs tended to remain with one person, more menial jobs (working in the house, the fields, or the various industries) were allocated by rotation. As the community thrived, it began to hire outsiders to work in these positions, and by 1870 had 200 employees.
Complex marriage
The community practiced ‘Complex Marriage’, which meant that exclusive sexual or romantic relationships were not permitted. To help prevent a ‘special love’ from forming, each member of the community (even couples who arrived at the community already married) had a separate bedroom. Noyes determined the partnerships which would form and would encourage relationships between the non-devout and the devout in the community, in the hopes that the attitudes and behaviors of the devout would influence the non-devout.
Males were encouraged to avoid ejaculation during intercourse with their partners, and young boys just entering puberty were only allowed to participate in sexual acts with women who were past the child bearing age until they had proved they had fully mastered this ability.Noyes believed that sexual intercourse had social and spiritual purposes and was a path to perfection. Generally, it was believed that older people were spiritually superior to younger people, and men were spiritually superior to women. Noyes and his inner circle were at the top of this hierarchy. In order to improve oneself, it was necessary to have sexual relations with those spiritually superior. This was called ‘ascending fellowship’.Once a community member had reached a certain level (as determined by Noyes and his inner circle) they were then to practice ‘descending fellowship’ with those trying to work their way up.
Selective breeding
In 1869 Noyes introduced stirpiculture, a selective breeding programme designed to create perfect children. Community members who wished to be parents would go before a committee and were matched according to their spiritual and moral qualities. In total 53 women and 38 men participated in this programme and the experiment yielded 58 children.Nine of these were fathered by Noyes.
Mutual criticism
The community also practiced ‘Mutual Criticism’.Every member of the community (except Noyes himself) was subject to criticism by committee or the community as a whole, during a general meeting. The goal was to eliminate bad character traits.
In 1851, concerned that young girls were developing too strong an attachment to their dolls, and that this might endanger the communal ethos of the community, the children were ordered to assemble in front of a open stove and consign their cherished dolls into the ‘angry-looking flames’ (as one of the children described it many years later).
From community to company
The community lasted until Noyes attempted to pass the leadership to one of his sons, Theodore. Unfortunately, Theodore was an atheist and lacked his father's talent for leadership, and consequently the move divided the community, with one member, John Towner, attempting to wrest control for himself.In 1879 John Humphrey Noyes fled the community in the middle of the night, to escape arrest on a charge of statutory rape.
The community dissolved soon afterwards, but some of the members remained and formed a joint-stock corporation, which eventually concentrated its efforts and became the major manufacturer of cutlery in the United States.
Sources
Randall Hillebrand, ‘The Shakers/ Oneida Community’ (Part Two) at http://www.nyhistory.com/central/oneida.htm#link#link.
Spencer Klaw, Without Sin: The Life and Death of the Oneida Community 1994.
Maren Lockwood, Oneida: Utopian Community to Modern Corporation 1998.
