A community that brought the ideas of group marriage and free love to life

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

The history does not hide any surprises from us. Sometimes such real information comes across that no fictional literature can hold a candle. Listen here.

It happened in the first half of the 19th century, when humanity slowly but surely began its path to the sexual revolution. Some people, tired of the ascetic Christian morality and the heavy shackles of marriage, looked for freer forms of relationship.

Among them was John Humphrey Noyes. Noyes interpreted the Bible in his own way, saying that Jesus Christ was resurrected and returned to earth as early as 70 AD, therefore, paradise must be built here and now, and not wait for his own ascension to heaven. He saw Paradise in his own way too.

There have been many attempts to justify and legitimize polygamous relations in history, but this case can be called unprecedented, since the Oneida Community managed to combine the incompatible: communist ideas based on religious dogmas and embodied in a group form of marriage! This community appeared in the United States in 1848, existed for 30 years and grew to 300 inhabitants. Common to them were wives, husbands, children, property and clothing, and the founder of the commune, John Humphrey Noyes, considered it a paradise on earth. The main principles of the commune were: complex marriage, rising brotherhood, male abstinence, mutual criticism and later appeared - "stypiculture".

Let's find out more about it …

At the age of 20, John Humphrey Noyes entered theological seminary, and then - the theology department at Yale University, from where he was soon expelled for heretical sermons: at the age of 23, the young man declared that he had attained "complete holiness", was no longer subject to sin, and the law was not a decree. He was deprived of the right to preach, but even then he knew how to impress immature minds with his rants about "free communication of the universal family of God."

Founder of the Oneida community, John Humphrey Noyes, 1850 and 1867

The first person Noyes was able to convince of the need for a polygamous relationship was his wife. Later, they were joined by other adherents of the idea of group marriage. In 1843, there were already 35 people in the community, each of whom signed a document waiver of claims for a spouse, as well as for personal belongings. Noyes called his main task the embodiment of the idea of "biblical communism."

Community members near the mansion

In 1848 the commune settled in Oneida - the former settlement of the Indian tribe of the same name. All members of the community lived in one mansion and obeyed the general rules. Attachment to people and things was considered sinful, monogamy and jealousy were seen as forms of spiritual tyranny, long-term relationships between men and women were not welcomed, children were considered common. Noyes believed that the traditional pairing family contradicted the divine idea of selfless love, that sex is a sacred expression of love that brings people closer to God and allows them to build heaven on earth.

Women of the commune "Oneida"

The members of the commune had 4 basic principles: difficult marriage, rising brotherhood, male abstinence, and mutual criticism.

Difficult marriagewas nothing more than a free of personal obligation, polygamous relationship. That is, every woman in the commune was considered married to every man and vice versa. The members of the commune, without regret and without reproaches of conscience, had to enter into sexual relations with all members of the community. If the couple became attached to each other and did not want to share their partner with anyone else, she was isolated from the commune until she changes her mind or until the desire for sole ownership fades away. Long-term relationships were not welcomed and were cut off at the root. In addition, each new connection had to be approved by a special committee, and those who shirked or performed poorly in public work were deprived of their sex life altogether.

Mansion of the commune "Oneida"

The Rising Brotherhood Principle was aimed at preventing young people from wanting to group and isolate themselves. Therefore, in the community, young people were encouraged in every possible way to communicate with mature women - it was believed that in this way life experience was passed on to the young generation and piety was inculcated. If there were people in the commune who were dissatisfied with the existing state of affairs, the principle of "mutual criticism" was applied to them: they were subjected to public censure and public humiliation. So Noyes dealt with all dissenters.

Men of the commune "Oneida"

"Male abstinence" meant a delay in ejaculation during intercourse in cases where the goal of procreation was not pursued. Young people were taught this "art" from their youth, although the method turned out to be ineffective: in 30 years the commune grew to 300 inhabitants. Women had the right to refuse to have children, in addition, they were allowed to study, play sports, work on an equal basis with men, have short haircuts and not wear corsets.

Mutual criticism. In a commune, as in any other society, there have always been people not just dissatisfied with something, but also openly speaking. The principle of mutual criticism was applied to such truth-lovers: public and widespread humiliation of a dissenter.

Mansion of the commune "Oneida", 1907

Stirpiculture - This principle was introduced in the Oneida in 1869 and was nothing more than eugenics. The commune has established a selective breeding program aimed at giving birth to more perfect children. Commune members who wanted to have offspring had to apply to a special committee that considered their spiritual and moral qualities. 53 women and 38 men took part in the program, as a result of which 58 children were born (9 of them were children of Noyes himself). This experiment required the completion of another wing in the commune building - the Mansion House.

The community existed on the money received from its own production: in the community they were engaged in the manufacture of silverware, silk threads, bags, traps and traps for animals. Adults worked 4-6 hours a day. The goods were exported to Canada, Australia and even to Russia.

A solid money turnover allowed the young people of the commune to get education in the best universities of that time, so the commune did not need doctors, lawyers, teachers, architects, mechanics, etc. Each member of the community also had the opportunity to improve himself without leaving the commune: there was a rich library, numbering more than six thousand volumes, two orchestras, several string quartets and a choir. Every week the commune held holidays and picnics with plays and operettas, croquet games, chess and a variety of treats.

Silverware * Oneida Ltd * and its advertising of the early twentieth century. |

Silverware "Oneida Ltd"

Of course, “heaven on earth” by John Noyes did not stand the test of time: more and more dissatisfied people appeared in the community, the younger generation expressed a desire to live in paired families. In addition, the preacher was accused of sexual harassment and rape. When, in 1879, Noyes learned that a warrant for his arrest was ready, he fled the United States. In the same year, the commune was reorganized into a joint stock company.

The mansion of the commune "Oneida" today is a historical monument

At the beginning of the 20th century, Oneida narrowed down the scope of its activities, limiting itself to the production of exclusively table silver and until 2008 was considered the largest manufacturer of cutlery under the Oneida Limited brand. In 2009, it was announced the sale of all production facilities and stores of the company due to the difficult financial situation. However, as of October 2010, the Oneida store is operating in Sherrill, New York.

The last original member of the Oneida commune was Ella Florence Underwood (1850), who died on June 25, 1950 in Kenwood.