This document collection offers insights into the aspirations, life, and practical aspects of an American utopian community of the 1840s. Students will engage with a wide range of primary sources, constructing an argument based on the central question: What does the Northampton Community’s exampl...

This document collection offers insights into the aspirations, life, and practical aspects of an American utopian community of the 1840s. Students will engage with a wide range of primary sources, constructing an argument based on the central question: What does the Northampton Community’s example reveal about the goals and experiences of American utopian communities in the 1840s?

Students are guided in their analyses of the documents by a learning objective, central question, historical background, source headnotes, source questions, project questions and suggestions for further research. Through their work with these sources, they will gain a deeper awareness of the diversity of the American experience, a more complete understanding of the present in an historically-based context, an enhanced ability to read, interpret, assess, and contextualize primary sources, and practice explaining historical change over time.