Most of the original utopias were created for religious purposes. ... Gradually, utopian communities came to reflect social perfectibility rather than religious purity. Robert Owen, for example, believed in economic and political equality.

Why were utopian communities established in the United States in the nineteenth century?

The First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of religion attracted European groups who were persecuted in their own countries. Upon arrival in America, many hoped to form Utopian societies - self-contained, agrarian, and communal in nature.

What led to the growth of utopian communities?

In the nineteenth century, social, economic, and educational reform was replacing religious perfectionism as the primary impetus for founding new utopian communities.