Noncommunal Utopias

Abstract

Dreams of a better life are not necessarily encapsulated in communal terms, but frequently do involve the desire to migrate to new locations. Over the last few centuries North America has been the target of such visions, and the hope of emigrating to this continent still lives on in the hearts of many. Despite the fact that literature pertaining to North American immigration history is voluminous, it may still be helpful to outline a few historical highlights to set the stage for the discussion. One complex but relevant case emerges from the Reformation period in the form of the Anabaptist movement.