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John Humphrey Noyes (1811-1886) Most important time period: 1834-1879

I was born on September 3, 1811, in Brattleboro, Vermont. Growing up as a farmer, I used my common sense to form many of my ideals. My parents preached religion to me at an early age, and I dedicated my life to it. I studied at the theological seminaries of Dartmouth, Andover, and Yale. In my second year at Yale, I made my most important discovery. While studying religious science, I came across information that led me to believe that Christ's second coming had already occured. In fact, I believed Christ had come again in 70 AD.

With man now living in a "new age", I became increasingly concerned with sin and the idea of perfection. I believed that unless man was truly free from all sin, than Christianity must be a lie. I realized that to be a "perfect" Christian, one must not sin. This religious converison of sorts allowed me to act perfectly in the eyes of God. My choices now came from "the eyes of a perfect heart". I could do no wrong. my impulses were God's will, so I acted upon all of them.

People at my college thought I was crazy, and I was expelled. Soon though, I returned to Putney, Vermont where I rallied a group of followers who believed in my new-found faith. I founded the Putney Bible School, and we quickly became an official communal community.

In 1847, I was arrested for adultery. Hearing that several of my followers were doomed to the same fate, I moved our community to Oneida, New York. My community of followers grew to numbers of over 300, with sister communities in Brooklyn, Wallington, Cambridge, and Putney. My Oneida community was responsible for the largest manufacturer of silverware in my time as well as many other successful industries.

The general idea of my reform was that Christianity was not a true religion. I believed that only perfect spiritualists, such as myself, were "Christians". As perfect Christians we were given the right by God to act upon our impulses, while still remaining sin free. This idea of mine led to many charges of rape and adultery, one of which forced me to flee to Canada where I eventually died in 1879.

Two people who could attest to my causes and validity as a religious leader are Harriet Holton and George Noyes. Harriet Holton was one of my movements first supporters, and she financially supported my community in it's beginnings. George Noyes is my brother, and accompanied me as governmental leader of my community.

Bibliography:

Hillebrand, Randall. "The Oneida Community - New York History Net." //New York History Net - A project of the Institute for New York State Studies//. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2010. . "John Humphrey Noyes: The Oneida Community by John H. Martin." //The Crooked Lake Review//. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2010. .