North American Phalanx, New Jersey
One of the leading proponents of the socialist utopia beliefs of Charles Fourier was newspaper publisher Horace Greeley. In 1843, with the cooperation of author Charles Brisbane, Greeley led the formation of the Albany Branch of the North American Phalanx and a dozen families adopted its constitution in August. Shares of stock in the Phalanx were offered for sale and although some capital was raised the hoped for formation of other branches did not take place. Most of the stock which did sell came from outside investors who bought shares but were not interested in living in the proposed community.
Still with insufficient capital the Albany Branch purchased a plot of 673 acres in New Jersey, mortgaging over $9,000 of the purchase price, leaving the Branch with just $2,000 for the construction of buildings, livestock, farm equipment, and other items necessary to produce income. The Albany Branch planned a single large building – called a phalanstery – for dwelling in and for community use for education, recreation and some industry.
By the end of 1844 over 100 people in 20 families occupied the community. Labor was divided into categories such as agriculture and manufacturing, and those were further divided by type of work. Jobs considered to be mere drudgery were paid more than those considered to be light work, with pay based on a system of rewards based on capital invested and a daily wage. Domestic work was the purview of the women in the community. Payment was in scrip, which bore the image of Charles Fourier.
A sizable number of the Branch members were vegetarians, which created difficulties in the fair distribution of food. Several different religions were represented among the members, including Unitarians, Episcopalians, Shakers, and Jews. Newspapers were provided by Greeley and other sources. The community prospered for its first few years, but gradually began to decline in the early 1850s. The promise of shared abundance did not emerge from the shared living conditions within the community.
In 1853 several members left the community to form a new one forming as the Raritan Bay Union, taking with them their stock ownership, on which they continued to be paid for their capital investment, removing much of the money from the community. After a disastrous fire destroyed the Branch’s mill the community voted to dissolve. Remaining community property was sold and the proceeds divided among the shareholders, who ultimately received a little less than sixty cents per dollar invested.