America 's Communal Utopias By Ann Lee

H. G. Wells’ book, A Modern Utopia was published in 1905. This book seems to be unique for two reasons. As Wells tells us, it is told from the point of view of "a whitish plump man" that he calls the "Voice" (1). This allows the book to be what Wells calls, "a sort of shot-silk texture between philosophical discussion on the one hand and imaginative narrative on the other" because the Utopia that we visit in the story is the one inside the mind of the "Voice" or the narrator (ix). He (the Voice) is talking to a friend, a botanist that continues with him on his journeys, about utopian thought when suddenly these two men have been transported past Sirius to Utopia, the Voice’s ideal planet

Religious reformers believed that they should establish estranged communities that lead to equality, liberty, and prosperity among all. The best examples were the Shakers found by Ann Lee, an English immigrant. The members of the community worked together to own their own property. They

Barbara Ehrenreich 's showed that she didn't have the mind set or worries of a working class person by reminding us as readers the fine line between the kind of performance she is doing and the kind her fellow coworkers do every day on the job. Time and again she lets us sink into her new world of a low-wage worker, only to pull us back with a reminder of the act. 1 She does this experiment to determine whether or not she could both live off the money earned and have enough money at the end of the month to pay the next month's rent. Working class people depend on the money they make on these jobs to survive and provide for their families. She could drop all these jobs she experimented with and go back to her real life without a worry in the

The issues I focused on in my analysis of Cal students are marriage and parenthood. Specifically, I chose to compare how opinions on these issues differed by gender. Kathleen Gerson discusses the new generation’s expectations from marriage and families to a great degree in her book The Unfinished Revolution. As Gerson states, “Most of my interviewees hope to create lasting, egalitarian partnerships, but they are also doubtful about their chances of reaching this goal.” (10) This is a characteristic that also stood out in my analysis: the majority of the students interviewed hope to create an egalitarian relationship in which there is no strict enforcement of traditional gender roles. Or as Gerson says, “…the vast majority want a permanent bond, but they do not wish for that bond to be defined by rigid gender distinctions.” (104) I only encountered one exception to this trend: a female student who expressed the desire to become a full time stay-at-home mom after having children, thereby putting all financial responsibility on her spouse. One thing that was different in my findings was that with the exception of one or two, these Cal students do not think it will be difficult to find a suitable partner. This is likely because most students

The next day as I walk through the school doors, I see Hunter glaring at me. Remembering what my mom said, I continue walking to class. I go to my first two periods and I read the book Utopia by Thomas Moore through both my classes. When the lunch bell rings, I jump up from my seat and head to the cafeteria where I sit down at my usual table alone. I start eating my peanut butter and jelly sandwich as Hunter and a bunch of his friends enter the cafeteria. I freeze in fear and I start to become enraged. My hands start to shake and my face turns bright red with anger. Without thinking about it, I stand up towering over Hunter. Hunter’s friends begin to laugh at my idiotic decision. I become even more enraged as I hold my hands up in front

In the early nineteenth century, as a response to industrialism and new democratic ideas, the Second Great Awakening spread across the United States prompting a religious revival. As a result, many people became devoted to bringing about reform. One active group at the time was the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, or Shakers, led by Ann Lee, commonly known as Mother Ann Lee. They were known for their “hands to work and their hearts to God” mentality, and the ideals and practices of the Shakers caused them to be among the first in America to advocate pacifism, abolition of slavery, equality of the sexes, communal ownership of goods, and absolute celibacy. Thus, during the antebellum period, Mother Ann Lee reflected early

He provided a good example due to the Market Revolution in the early 1800s. Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, or Mormonism, created another model of a religious utopia (Keene, 301). Smith grew up in western New York, where the fires of the Great Awakening burned hot. In Smith’s Christian Religion environment, had a revelation on which Mormonism was based (Keene, 301). The Book of Mormon was published in Palmyra, New York, in 1830 and this town became the site of one of the earliest Mormon communities (Keene 301). Smith was influenced by the widespread belief that the millennium was at hand, bringing with it an end to debt and the return of Christ and a new era of peace, happiness, and prosperity. Smith’s revelations detail struck a resonant chord with small farmers and etc whose experience with the expanding market economy had been largely negative (Keene 301). The revelation attracted thousands of followers. Joseph Smith members were popularly known as Mormons. With the exception of the first generation of Mormon converts, American society does not seem to have been receptive to him; they were pushed from one location to another, and eventually after Smith’s assassination, they moved to Utah. Prior to their exodus the Mormons endured a long period of internal dissension and harassment by their non-Mormon

The article, The Cult of Womanhood: 1820 - 1860 written by Barbara Welter discusses the philosophy towards women in America during the mid 19th century. A set of demands and expectations based upon four principles: piety, purity, submission and domesticity were placed on women as well as certain behavioral expectations left 19th century women feeling guilty. It also left women feeling this way during the industrialization period as well as having a huge presence of incompatibility with society. Welter shares her viewpoint that the Cult of Womanhood was an attempt to preserve pre modern values in the industrial age. Men held a dominant place in society and continued to prevent new opportunities for women to explore. Narrow minded

Shakers were religious groups that formed to escape the corruption within society. The Shakers were the most successful of all of the religious communities. In the 1840’s Shaker communities stretched across the country with 5000 members. Shakers thought that men and women were equal and that God was both part male and female (Text 343). Within the Shaker religion, men and women lived in separate areas and ate i]n large dining halls. As the leader of the Shakers Ann Lee gave the Shakers a boost of members by adopting children, the

Stretching 363 miles, The Erie Canal was the first ever canal built in the United States to connect the Atlantic Ocean to western waterways. Canals have expanded territories and have allowed access to broader trading throughout the United States. Carol Sheriff not only looks into how the Eric Canal came to be, but analyzed the culture and the way the society surrounding the Erie Canal transformed and adapted. The Erie Canal opened new trading opportunities because of this new mode of transportation.

In her book, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America (2001), Barbara Ehrenreich performs a social experiment in which she transplants herself from her comfortable middle-class life and immersing herself in the plight of the “millions of American’s (who) work full-time, year-round, for poverty-level wages” (Ehrenreich, 2001). Her goal was to explore the consequences of the welfare reform on the approximately four million women who would be subsequently forced into the labor market, expecting to make only $6 to $7 an hour. (2001 p.1) Her experiment eviscerated the idea that the American underclass was lazy, and the lie that American’s could live healthy, productive lives on minimum wage. On the contrary, she proved underclass

Strangers in the Land of Paradise by Lillian S. Williams explores the settlement of African Americans in Buffalo in the time of the Great Migration. In this book, Williams discusses the process in which migrants from the South made their own black communities in Buffalo while bringing their beliefs and traditions with them, and having those beliefs evolve over time in a new setting. Her work sheds light on the experiences of blacks in Buffalo during a time where many changes were occurring; the Civil War had just ended and the Industrial Revolution was underway. She also speaks on how Buffalo was unique in that it became the final point for those escaping the racism and violence in the South, since it was the last point before crossing into Canada. In her own words, “the book examines the growth and development of Buffalo, the movement of European immigrants and African American migrants into the city, and their ability to secure an economic foothold. It tests the extent to which family and friendship networks for blacks were a significant force in their migration and acculturation. It also describes the establishment of institutions that African Americans created to shape their modern, urban community" (p. xiv).

What is poverty considered to be? The definition of poverty has dramatically changed throughout time, what was once considered poor living arrangements would be considered excruciating within todays society. My purpose for writing about poverty is to educate my audience on the heart wrenching history that once took place within the U.S and to demonstrate the ongoing progression that inhabits us today. In a time of 1945, my nana and her courageous family went through horrendous consequences due to the after effects of The Great Depression.

Mother Ann Lee created the Shakers with belief that she was sent from God to be the leader. She created rules and laws allowing women to have more rights than the outside societies. She made it as though the male and female were equally as important to society. The doctrine of the group was basically Christian, but it contained a number of original features.

Shakers first came to America from England in 1774. Led by the prophet Ann Lee, this small and radical group of English Quakers believed that the millennium—the thousand