Icarian settlements Icarians

1 icarian settlements

1.1 denton county, texas
1.2 nauvoo, illinois
1.3 cheltenham, missouri
1.4 corning, iowa
1.5 cloverdale, california

icarian settlements
denton county, texas

the icarian colonists found contractually forced settle non-contiguous 320 acre half sections of land (dark squares), 320 acre half sections retained land development company, , alternating 640 acre tracts retained state of texas. (it proved impossible homestead these lands july 1, 1848 deadline.)

source: hillquit, history of socialism, pp. 126–127.

on february 3, 1848 so-called advance guard of 69 icarians departed le havre, france new life in texas, leaving aboard sailing ship rome. these proceed port of new orleans , make way there designated area in texas, represented being in close proximity red river. advance guard arrived in america on march 27, 1848.

they quick discover had been deceived , actual lands designated colonization 25 miles away red river; moreover, colony lands not contiguous, rather separated checkerboard fashion, alternating state , private lands, making integrated communal life not possible. moreover, instead of promised 1 million acres, actual contractual terms of land distribution provided distribution of 320 acres of land 3,125 individuals or families each had construct log cabin , occupy allotment deadline date of july 1, 1848. 69 hands available construction, there little hope construction of more 30 cabins deadline. promised 1 million acres thereby transformed perhaps 10,000. 1849, 281 icarians stayed loyal cabet , remained rebuild, whereas rest went france.

the party proceed boat shreveport. wagon obtained , loaded provisions difficult overland trek via bonham trail resting place halfway final destination. first group of 25 men departed on april 8, followed in second wagon 14 others shortly thereafter. both wagons broke down en route , 39 icarians forced proceed in small groups, packing on backs. not until april 21 arrived @ resting place, still more hundred difficult miles goal.

only 27 intrepid french settlers able make final leg of trip farm designated resting place new texan utopia, site located in today s denton county in texas (northwest of dallas). small group arrived june 2, 1848, , began frenzied effort construct dwellings in order stake land claims, attempting @ same time plow , farm prairie. virtually no time remained meet terms of land concession. hot summer sun began bake ground. poorly fed, poorly housed, overworked , exhausted, icarian colonists next fell victim outbreaks of cholera , malaria, illnesses killed 4 , sickened rest. making bad situation still worse, 1 medical doctor in company broke down state of insanity , deserted fellows.

back home in france, revolution of 1848 had long been in full swing , king louis philippe overthrown. necessity of emigration achieve democratic reforms seemed less compelling , volunteers icarian colonization in america melted away. 1500 settlers planned next wave of settlers; 19 made trip, of whom barely more half ever made texas join beleaguered advance guard in sisyphian task.

the grim reality of situation clear, texas colonization venture written off total loss participants , survivors divided small groups make way shreveport , there new orleans. 4 more died en route. arriving in new orleans late in 1848, texas pioneers met several hundred colonization enthusiasts france, had been congregating in city. mood grim.

news of texas catastrophe reached cabet in france , on december 13, 1848, set out liverpool america in attempt shore project. after landing in new york, shipped out again new orleans, disembarking there on january 19, 1849. cabet found supporters in disarray, in deplorable spirit of defeated army, borrow words official history group. portion of prospective colonists sought abandon project , return france; others sought continue colonization project in more suitable locale.

on january 21 colonists held general meeting decide fate. cabet declared if majority sought return home france, support decision — although costs absorbed in previous year such move have meant financial disaster all. small majority of 280 decided continue colonization project if more suitable locale found; 200 sought return. formal split of icarians along these lines followed, first of 3 great factional rifts split movement.

an amount of money pared treasury send 200 disaffected icarians home le havre. once in france, many of former icarian colonists initiated legal proceedings against cabet fraud – charges forced home answer.

the majority, consisting of 280 people, joined cabet in setting out mississippi river town of nauvoo, located in hancock county, illinois, icarian experiment began in earnest.

nauvoo, illinois

the mississippi river town of nauvoo, illinois appeared circa 1855, during time of occupation icarian colonists.

nauvoo founded in 1839 gathering of church of jesus christ of latter day saints. though joseph smith, founder of latter day saint movement, killed in 1844, 1845 nauvoo had grown community of 15,000 people – dwarfing city of chicago, had 8,000 inhabitants @ time. under threat of continuing violence surrounding communities , following succession crisis, of latter-day saints, under brigham young left in 1846 salt lake city, utah, current headquarters of church of jesus christ of latter-day saints. latter-day saints later sold land icarians in 1849.

nauvoo become first permanent icarian community, icarians adopting charter , structure described in cabet s voyage en icarie. structure included annually elected president , 1 officer each administrate finance, farming, industry, , education. new members admitted majority approval vote adult males, after living in commune 4 months, forfeiting personal property, , pledging $80. nonetheless, visitors welcome stay long wished in hotel.

every family used same amount of space (two rooms in apartment building), , allowed same amount of furniture. after age of four, children lived apart parents @ boarding school, , visited families on sundays. done foster love community without developing special affection parents young age, theoretically instrumental smooth working of utopian society. sundays not typical religious sunday; icarians practiced no religion, there days people voluntarily gathered in fellowship called cours icarien discuss cabet s writings , christian morals , ethics. because long-term celibacy viewed askance community, marriage norm. divorce acceptable under assumption individuals remarry soon.

with basic need of shelter settled, short period of energetic growth , relative prosperity followed. farmland rented, saw mill , flour mill opened, workshops established, , schools , theater founded. periodical press launched, publishing in french, english, , german, , office established in paris recruit adherents american colony. nauvoo cultural life thrived. icarians held regular band concerts , theatre productions. library consisted of extensive collection, ranging reference works applied science popular novels, in english , french, , totaling on 4,000 volumes. 1855 there more 500 participants in icarian project.

political disagreements , personal animosities lead second major split of icarians in america. Étienne cabet began in america in 1849 authority of sect s unquestioned leader, status freely granted him inspired action man s writings. individual status supreme decision-maker stood in marked contradiction democratic ideals of community, however. cabet himself realized , in 1850 proposed constitution provided elected president , elected board of directors, supplant absolute, personal authority of unitary leader. system functioned time.

in 1852, lawsuit filed in paris against cabet number of dissident former icarians, claimed property obtained him means of fraud. cabet returned france 18 months fight these charges. when returned america, cabet began push through series of restrictive rules, including prohibition of talking in workshops, banning use of tobacco or alcohol, , other regulations unpopular members of community. moved reestablish own personal decision-making authority on entire community, proposing in december 1855 revise constitution provide powerful president elected four-year term. president, under cabet s new scheme, have ability control aspects of community s government.

this position cabet anathema majority of icarian cooperators, inspired , influenced history , traditions of great french revolution , democratic ideals. cabet s position held him essential preservation of community s moral fiber, however, , in position staunchly supported strong minority.

the factional battle continued year between dissidents, led alexis armel marchand , jean baptist gerard, , cabetists, resolving in formal split. cabetists expelled, , cabet led 170 of followers out of nauvoo in october 1856, heading downstream along mississippi bustling metropolis of st. louis establish new colony in vicinity.

shattered loss of 40% of members , no longer able raise financial support in france, nauvoo colony of majority faction encountered financial difficulties , forced disband in 1860. many of participants of defunct nauvoo colony join parallel icarian colony in iowa.

cheltenham, missouri

the icarians had left nauvoo owing support of personal leadership of cabet , restrictive behavioral agenda arrived in st. louis on november 6, 1856. in ironic twist of fate, leader whom had executed split of icaria in nauvoo, Étienne cabet, died 2 days later. new leader became thirty-two-year-old lawyer named benjamin mercadier.

on february 15, 1858, group of 151 icarians took possession of few hundred acres in cheltenham, st. louis, missouri. these cabetists used cabet s money , put down $500 on $25,000 mortgage thirty-nine acres , 3 buildings southwest of city. adjusting new area , new locals difficult, icarians adopted constitution, replica of nauvoo one, worked in city, , enrolled children local public schools. colony fell various arguments. during civil war, many young men joined union cause. 1864, twenty residents remained on property. rest of people, epidemics of dysentery , cholera occurred in warmer months. because icarians not meet mortgage payments, in march 1864, arsène sauva returned keys property st. louis banker thomas allen (from whom property had been purchased in 1858), leaving large debt. same year, members left community, , cheltenham icaria no longer extant.

in 1872, buildings went state of disrepair, , in 1875, fire destroyed buildings on property, removing last evidence of icarian colony.

corning, iowa

french icarian colony being rebuilt living history site near corning, iowa. seen replicas of great hall , community s 1860 schoolhouse.

in 1852, icarians purchased land in adams county, iowa form new permanent settlement, , icarians began settling southwest of queen city in 1853. in 1860, when nauvoo colony went bankrupt, many members of community moved new site in iowa. settlers arrived nothing skills along $20,000 of debt. land of 4,000 acres (16 km) first found shelter in mud hovels , in crudely built log cabins. colony near became corning, iowa granted charter of incorporation state of iowa in 1860. community prospered during civil war selling food @ prices, , able pay collective debt 1870.

in spring of 1874 icarian colony near corning visited charles nordhoff, travelling united states doing investigative research on such communities in preparation writing book. @ time nordhoff found 2 story building, 60 feet 24, served collective dining hall, washhouse, , school. dozen cheaply built frame houses sheltered colonists, @ time included 65 members in 11 families. of in community of french ethnicity, , french language spoken colonists, although among number included 1 american, 1 swiss, swede, spaniard, , 2 germans.

nordhoff wrote:

children remarkably healthy, , on sunday dressed great taste. living still of plainest. in common dining-hall assemble in groups @ tables, without cloth, , drink out of tin cups, , pour water tin cans. plain, said 1 me; independent — no man s servants — , content.

nordhoff noted iowa colony sold market 2,500 pounds of wool annually, cattle , hogs , product of manufacturing facilities. group continued operate under elaborate constitution written cabet, lays down great care equality , brotherhood of mankind, , duty of holding things in common; abolishes servitude or service (or servants); commands marriage, under penalties; provides education; , requires majority shall rule.

governance based upon weekly meetings of adults each saturday, president elected annually formal head of colony officers conduct of meetings elected each week. in addition president there 4 elected directors, in charge of agriculture, clothing, industry, , construction, respectively.

nordhoff noted community had no formal religious observances. instead, sunday day of rest labor, when young men go out guns, , society has theatrical representations, or music, or kind of amusement. principle let each 1 pleases.

in 1870s, icarian colony near corning had split. vieux icariens against allowing women right vote, jeunes icariens in favor. vote of 31–17, entire community voted against franchise women. after that, jeunes icariens moved new site on same property 1 mile southeast. move done moving 8 frame houses original colony. vieux icariens community no longer viable , forced disband due bankruptcy in 1878. new community established new constitution in 1879.

in 1898, last community of icarians disbanded voluntarily; members chose integrate surrounding towns. 46 years in existence made corning icarian community longest-lived non-religious communal living experiment in american history.

a historical exhibit icarians can found in lobby of adams county hall in corning, , living history site being rebuilt on location of site icarians lived until 1898.

cloverdale, california

a new colony of icaria speranza established jules leroux (brother of french socialist philosopher pierre leroux) , armand dehay, in 1881 moved jeune icarie area south of cloverdale, california. group bought 885-acre bluxome ranch on russian river, included vineyards, orchards, , arable land. named speranza, after leroux s review l esperance, community gained remaining members of young icaria , became icaria-speranza.

at height, settlement had estimated population of 55 individuals. settlement disbanded in 1886. today there historical marker south of town marking schoolhouse was.