Much of my research focuses on the “Americanization of Fourierism” and Albert Brisbane’s role in this process. This aspect of my research portrays a unique example of how a social thinker created a movement in reaction to his current circumstances. When we look at a certain period in history it is crucial that we recognize the social, political, and cultural conditions of the time. Fourierism was introduced during the antebellum period which was a divisive time in America’s history. Brisbane hoped he could unite this nation on the brink of civil war under a common movement. This concept relates to one of the principle challenges of utopian thinking: the ability to establish “a more perfect union.” In a way, Brisbane attempts to solve this problem by propagandizing or “Americanizing” Fourierism to make the movement more appealing and inclusive. This propaganda is an essential aspect of my research and is found in multiple primary sources written by Albert Brisbane and his colleagues.

This “Americanization” also relates to Thomas More’s Utopia because of the way it reflects the challenge of implementing a new ideology into a society with established values and tradition. During the first half of the nineteenth-century America was still considered a young nation. To many intellectuals, America represented a fresh start much like the fresh start given to the island of Utopia. The New World was the chance to learn from Europe’s mistakes and create a better future. Brisbane and his colleagues realized that despite this “fresh start,” Americans had already developed a unique national tradition which posed a significant challenge to the adoption of Fourierism.