Free Love in Utopia: John Humphrey Noyes and the Origin of the Oneida CommunityGeorge Wallingford Noyes, Lawrence Foster The "free love" Oneida Community, founded in New York state during the turbulent decades before the Civil War, practiced an extraordinary system of "complex marriage" as part of its sustained experiment in creating the kingdom of heaven on earth. For more than thirty years, two hundred adult members considered themselves heterosexually married to the entire community rather than to a single monogamous partner. Free Love in Utopia provides the first in-depth account of how complex marriage was introduced among previously monogamous or single Oneida Community members. Bringing together vivid, firsthand writings by members of the community--including personal correspondence, memoranda on spiritual and material concerns, and official pronouncements--this volume portrays daily life in Oneida and the deep religious commitment that permeated every aspect of it. It also presents a complex portrait of the community's founder, John Humphrey Noyes, who demanded not only complete religious loyalty from his followers but also minute control over their sexual lives. It recounts the formidable legal suits faced by the community--one of which almost forced it to disband in 1852--and the critical behind-the-scenes work of Noyes's second-in-command, John L. Miller. Most important, Free Love in Utopia describes in detail how Oneida's "enlarged family" was created and how its unorthodox practices affected its members. Key selections from a large collection of primary documents detailing Oneida's early years were compiled by George Wallingford Noyes, nephew of the founder. The present volume, astutely edited and introduced by noted communitarian scholar Lawrence Foster, marks the first publication of G. W. Noyes's remarkable manuscript, excerpted from the irreplaceable original documents that were deliberately burned after his death. The volume also reproduces Oneida's First Annual Report, which contains the sexual manifesto that underlay the community. |
Contents
The Roots of an Extraordinary Community | ix |
Cast of Characters | xxxviii |
Noyes Again at the Helm | 1 |
Settlement of the Putney Lawsuits | 13 |
January 1849 | 22 |
February to May 1849 | 32 |
August 1849 to July 1851 | 43 |
August 11 1849 to February 2 1851 | 53 |
January 22 1852 | 145 |
October 2 1851 to February 17 1852 | 149 |
February 1 to October 31 1852 | 152 |
April 1 to July 6 1852 | 169 |
Victory of the 27th July 1852 | 186 |
August 29 1852 | 192 |
Constitutional Christianity | 194 |
August 1851 to January 1853 | 197 |
18491853 | 67 |
September to December 1850 | 75 |
December 28 1850 to July 16 1851 | 85 |
April 16 to June 4 1852 | 91 |
July 519 1851 | 97 |
July 16 to August 29 1851 | 101 |
September 4 1851 | 115 |
August 6 to December 4 1851 | 119 |
August 19 1851 to November 2 1854 | 130 |
September 1851 | 134 |
September 27 1851 to December 23 1851 | 136 |
Common terms and phrases
Abigail Merwin August 29 believe better Bible body Brooklyn Burnham Burt called character Charlotte Christ commenced complex marriage confessed criticism death Elizabeth Hawley experience faith favor feel fellowship felt free love G. W. Noyes Garvin George Cragin George W George Wallingford give God's Hamilton Harriet H heart heaven Home-Talk by Noyes Hubbard Hyde J. H. Noyes Jenkins John Humphrey Noyes Judge judgment kingdom Kinsley labor Leonard look Lucius Hubbard manifest Mary meeting Miller to Noyes mind morning nature Newhouse Noyes Oneida Noyes's Oneida Association Oneida Community Oneida Journal persons present Primitive Church principles propagative Putney religious Report resurrection seems selfishness September 25 sexes sexual intercourse Seymour Skinner sloop social theory spirit talk things thought Timothy Jenkins tion tobacco told true truth Tryphena unity Utica victory whole wife wish woman women