Despite Cabet’s central focus on fraternity, the Icarian community struggled with developing brotherhood due to natural vices that plagued the members. The French Revolution of 1789 conditioned the members of the community to be receptive to the concept of fraternity. “Liberty, equality, fraternity”: each component of the slogan manifested itself in Cabet’s ideals. Members of the community expected a real manifestation of the ideals in the development of Icaria.[1],[2] Hundreds of French citizens had immigrated to Texas to found the first Icarian community, but, after its failure, many members returned to France and sued Cabet for fraud, forcing him back to France to contend the charges.[3] The aspect of fraternity and brotherhood dissolved in the wake of the attacks on Cabet’s character. The community moved to Nauvoo and appeared to have moved beyond the initial struggles of the group. But the utopic nature of the new community did not last. Angered by the attacks against his character, Cabet tightened the rules when he returned from France. The liberty that had been so frequently advertised quickly disappeared as Cabet pushed unpopular regulations into place.[4] The fraternity developed in the community touted as equality loving was dashed as Cabet created positions of president and granted them governing power.[5] The community had survived the first break up, but a large majority of the community could not stand to see the ideals born in the French Revolution and cultivated in the early community dashed and so two factions emerged, the Dissidents who opposed Cabet and the Cabetists who stood in support of their founding leader. The two groups quarreled over the outcome of the community until finally, in October 1856, the split was formalized and the Cabetists were expelled from Nauvoo.[6] The split crushed the Nauvoo community as they lost over 40 percent of their members and a large portion of the funding disappeared with the split.[7] Cabet’s fraternity had devolved into grim human nature.
[1] Leslie J Roberts, “Etienne Cabet and his Voyage en Icarie, 1840,” Utopian Studies 2 (1991): 79
[2]Donald Pitzer, “America’s Communal Utopias,” (The University of North Carolina Press: 1997), 281
[3] Sutton, “Les Icariens: The Utopian Dream in Europe and America,” Annals of Iowa 55 (Winter 1996): 61
[4] “Brief History of Icaria: Constitution, Laws, and Regulations of the Icarian Community,” Icaria, Corning County, (Iowa: Office of Publication,1880):7
[5] “Brief History of Icaria,” 7
[6] “Brief history of Icaria,” 7
[7] “Brief History of Icaria,” 8