Oneida Colony Essay

In the 19th century United States, outbreaks of diseases were widespread, labor and ethical issues were rampant, and women were still being treated as second class citizens. To escape the problems in their society, some tried to change legislation, some left the country all together, and some tried to create their own utopia, separate from their nation. The Oneida colony was one of these many utopian settlements that sprang up in 1800s United States. Other communities were short-lived, lasting a decade at the most, and had few members. However, Oneida lasted over thirty years, and had approximately 300 residents at its peak. Oneida was one of the first American settlements to be started by a native-born American, as opposed to a European, primarily

From the outside, a traditional catholic minister, John Mears, began attacking the practice of complex marriage. From the inside, 12 people, including their minister, James Towner, began questioning and challenging Noye’s leadership (Sreenivasan 285). Because of this in 1877, Noyes appointed his son because he was not able to face the criticism. Problems arose when parents insisted on keeping their children to themselves, rather than raising them communally. In 1873, a young reformer, Anthony Comstock, organized the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice, a harsh attack on the colonies experiments in sexual relations, such as complex marriage. In 1879, he fled the community for Canada to escape adultery, or his practice of complex marriage, charges. In June 1879, one of Noyes' followers alerted him that he was about to be arrested for violating New York marriage laws. In the middle of the night, he fled the community for Ontario, Canada, where the community had a factory. In August, he wrote back to the community, stating that it was time to abandon the practice of complex marriage and live in a more traditional manner. Unable to function without him, the community finally disbanded in 1881, and became a joint stock company. Noyes died seven years later, and his body was returned to Oneida and is buried in the Oneida Community Cemetery with many of his