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John Humphrey Noyes (the founder) has a religious experience in which he believes he has achieved "perfection," or moral purity. He begins to develop a new religious philosophy called "Perfectionism," which he believes can lead others to achieve perfection as well.
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Noyes is expelled from Yale Divinity School for his unorthodox beliefs. He begins to hold meetings in his home where he teaches his ideas to a small group of followers.
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Noyes and his followers purchase a 300-acre property in Oneida, New York, and establish the Oneida Community. The community is based on Perfectionism and communal living, and members are expected to give up their personal possessions and share all property and resources.
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The community adopts a system of "mutual criticism," in which members are encouraged to critique each other's behavior in order to promote personal growth and moral purity.
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The community adopts the practice of "complex marriage," in which all members are married to each other and sexual relations are openly practiced and regulated by the group. This is intended to promote sexual equality and prevent jealousy and possessiveness.
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The community begins to operate a profitable silk mill, which becomes one of the primary sources of income for the group.
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Noyes flees to Canada after facing legal charges related to his advocacy of complex marriage. He leaves the community in the hands of his son, Theodore.
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The community adopts a new form of marriage called "marriage by mutual consent," which allows members to form monogamous partnerships with each other if they choose to do so. The practice of complex marriage is gradually phased out.
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The Oneida Community dissolves and is reorganized as a joint-stock company called Oneida Community Limited. The company begins producing silverware and other household items.
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John Humphrey Noyes dies in Canada.
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The community publishes a book called "Bible Communism," which outlines its religious and social philosophy.
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The community publishes a revised edition of "Bible Communism," which removes some of the more controversial elements of the group's history, such as complex marriage and male continence.
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Oneida Community Limited becomes one of the largest manufacturers of silverware in the world, and the company expands into other areas such as animal traps, chains, and bicycles.
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Oneida Community Limited changes its name to Oneida Ltd. and goes public, selling shares on the New York Stock Exchange.
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Oneida Ltd. files for bankruptcy, and its assets are acquired by Monomoy Capital Partners, a private equity firm.
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The Oneida Community as a religious group no longer exists, as the group dissolved in the late 1800s and its members went on to pursue other paths. However, the legacy of the Oneida Community's ideas and practices continues to be studied and discussed by scholars and historians.