One such important characteristic of nineteenth century reform was the belief that there should be institutional solutions to the growing social problems and decline of urban society. This idea was practiced by the followers of Owen, people otherwise known as Owenites, who were workers on his colony, New Harmony. Owen argued that the only way that the standard of working could change was in an institution, or utopia, with "co-operative" effort and common ownership. "I am come to this country," Owen announced, "to introduce an entire new state of society, to change it from an ignorant, selfish system to an enlightened social system which shall gradually unite all interests into one, and remove all causes for contests between individuals." Furthermore, he also insisted that common man is not responsible for his acts and can only be saved from ignorance and poverty only by th

Behind every society or organization, especially in utopias, there must be a feeling of supremacy, a feeling that you are the best. After all, why form a new society that will not be better than the old one? Robert Owen expressed this belief on his deathbed saying, "I gave important truths to the world, and it was only for want of understanding that they were disregarded. I have been ahead of my time." This feeling of supremacy can also be traced back in American heritage to the seventeenth century and a prosperous, educated, well-to-do pillar of the Massachusetts named John Winthrop. He, as governor, promised to build a city which would be seen by the rest of the world as "a city upon a hill," a place which would be a model for humankind. This basic idea blatantly parallels the motivation on the part of the Owenites to build a utopia. Similarly, past societies had also been formed on the basis of the same principles with utopians such as Fourier and St. Simon. Robert Owen, therefore, was merely following a trend started by numerous reformers of the nineteenth century. They, along with the Owenites, were convinced that they had discovered the best society, and therefore built that society. For example, Robert Owen had no more than signed the papers to purchase New Harmony before he was off to Washington to tell the country about his big plans, speaking as if New Harmony was already a great success. In two speeches before Congress, with both the President of the United States and members of the Supreme court in attendance, he demonstrated a model of the town he planned to build yet supplied only a hazy explanation of its governmental structure. Societies such as this, Robert Owen predicted, would spread all over the United States and would result in "a consequent release from ignorance and oppression such as mankind had never before witnessed." This enthusiasm, mind you, occurred before New Harmony had completely begun! But the air of excitement must have caught in the hearts of the Owenites, for they, too, became swept away with enthusiasm...at least at first. The society did plow ahead with its work, but also began to write a great deal, as well. Furthermore, every Tu

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Approximate Word count = 1483
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)