Inquiry: RICHARD FRANCIS: Fruitlands: The Alcott Family and their Search for Utopia

In the mid 1800s, a number of Americans formed unique communes to live separate form the rest of society and aspire to a more spiritual life. None of these experiments in living were as unique or as destined for failure as the Fruitlands in Harvard, Massachusetts. Founded by Bronson Alcott, father of Louisa May, the Fruitlanders had very strict beliefs about diet, sex and what you could wear. But their tight little group nestled in the hinterlands could not avoid internal turmoil and conflict that would eventually tear their idyllic group life apart. This is a gripping story of lofty spiritual ideals chaffing against earth bound human emotions. Tonight on Inquiry, we speak with RICHARD FRANCIS, Research Fellow at Harvard, he has taught American Studies on both sides of the Atlantic. His fascinating new history is titled FRUITLANDS: THE ALCOTT FAMILY AND THEIR SEARCH FOR UTOPIA.