The Harmony Society

The Harmony Society was a religious communal group founded in the early 19th century in Pennsylvania by George Rapp. They sought to create a utopian society based on Christian principles, practicing shared ownership of property, hard work, and pacifism. In pursuit of their ideals, they eventually moved to Indiana and then Missouri to establish self-sufficient, agricultural communities. The Society emphasized simplicity, communal living, and spiritual devotion, and they played a notable role in American religious and social history until their decline in the late 19th century as members gradually left or dispersed.