Utopian Societies in the United States
December 1 & 8, 2025
Class Description
Session one will talk about American desires to create utopias, starting with John Winthrop in Massachusetts Bay, and then talk about a number of the 19th century societies like the Shakers, Brook Farm, and the Oneida Community. Session two will bring the utopian idea into the 20th century, focusing on The Farm, a community which began in the 1970’s and continues today, as well as other “intentional communities.”
About Myra Rich
Myra Rich was born and raised in Detroit. She received her undergraduate degree from Radcliffe College and her PhD from Yale University. She taught at Hunter College of the City University of New York and then, after moving to Denver, at the Denver campus of the University of Colorado. Her primary field is Early American History, and she has a second field in the History of Women in the United States.