Crucible of the Millennium: The Burned-Over District of New York in the 1840sDuring the nineteenth century apocalyptic and utopian fervor blazed across much of the northeastern United States, nowhere with greater intensity than in part of upstate New York called the " Burned-over District." The Millerites, religiously inspired, believed that the Second Coming of Christ was imminent (it was confidently predicted for some time in 1843 or 1844), and they actively sought converts to their belief. Other groups - following the doctrines of Robert Owen, Mother Ann Lee, Charles Fourier, and John Humphrey Noyes - separated from society, which they perceived as imperfect and sinful, to establish new social patterns in utopian communities. Michael Barkun examines all the leading millennial movements of New York in the 1840's showing intricate linkages among social reformers, community builders, and revivalists. In its discussion of the origins, organizational and intellectual styles, and significance of the various millenarian movements, Crucible of the Millennium adds to our understanding of the richly textured fabric of American social and religious experimentation, even to the present day. |
Contents
The Millenarian Stream | 13 |
The Rise of the Millerites | 31 |
The Imagery of Apocalypse | 47 |
The Growth of Utopian Communities | 63 |
Millerism and the Utopians | 89 |
Natural Disasters and the Millennium | 103 |
Organizing for the Millennium | 125 |
The Millenarian Process | 139 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Albert Brisbane apocalyptic appeared areas Arthur Bestor Backwoods Utopias Barkun became behavior beliefs Bestor Biblical Boston Burned-over District calamities century chiliasts cholera cities commitment communitarian consequence cultural damage control depression Disappointment divine doctrine early economic emphasis in original England failure farm Fourierism Fourierist groups Himes Himes's human Ibid ideas ideology imminent individuals intellectual John Humphrey Noyes Kondratieff ment Midnight Cry migration millenarian millenarian movements millennialism millennium Miller Millerism's Millerites moral order move munities nineteenth Nonetheless Noyes's numbers occurred Ohio Okugawa Oneida Community organization organizational Owen Owenite perfection Perfectionist period Phalanx political population portents postmillennialism postmillennialists predictions premillennialism premillennialists problems prophecies prophetic proselytizing Putney radical reform Religion and Sexuality religious revivals Robert rural Second Adventism Second Adventists Second Coming sectarian secular Shakers significant social society spiritual suggests theories of mistakes tion traditional upstate utopian utopian communities Vermont western William York