Justin Holt & Amanda Hooker Brook Farm Justin Holt & Amanda Hooker

Brook Farm Most famous of social experiments in communal living Established by George Ripley, a Boston transcendentalist This community was founded in West Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1841.

Why? George Ripley and other transcendentalist thinkers of the time saw a growing imbalance in the distribution of wealth and labor, as well as mankind’s disconnect from nature and individual reason. In order to combat these atrocities, Ripley formed a group of separatist transcendentalists and founded Brook Farm: a Utopian community isolated from the rest of society.

Key Figures, Dates, Ideas, etc. George Ripley: founder Nathaniel Hawthorne: former member of Brook Farm and prolific author on transcendentalism Dates: 1841: year of foundation Ideas Self-realization Equal opportunity Connection with nature

Methods of Reform Method: The creation of a Utopian community isolated from the rest of society in order to protest society’s disharmony and promote transcendentalist ideas. Labor was equally distributed among the residents of the farm so that they would all have equal time of leisure (which was very important because it was leisure time in which they attempted to bridge the gap between nature and their individualistic reason). Wealth was also equally distributed to promote equality prevent the creation of a social hierarchy.

Impact of Brook Farm Influenced the creation of other Utopian societies, such as New Harmony. Influenced the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne The Blithedale Romance: written directly about life in Brook Farm The Scarlet Letter and The House of Seven Gables: written about characters living in isolation from ordinary society Overall impact on future society was minimal, however, because Brook Farm became a complete disaster when individualism gave way to a form of socialism.

Brook Farm: Jacksonian Democracy All labor, leisure, and wealth was equally distributed to prevent the emergence of a more powerful wealthy class . This practice of equal distribution also promoted the ideas of the common man and equal economic opportunity.

Brook Farm: 2nd Great Awakening Like in the 2nd G.A., members of this community sought to reject skeptical rationalism; in this case, by separating from society . As a result of the promotion of economic and social equality among members, men and women also became to be viewed more as equals in Brook Farm, much like in the 2nd G.A.

Brook Farm: Transcendentalism Members strove to use self-realization in order to reach their full individualistic potential. Members also strove to bridge the gap between human intelligence and that of nature.