Adin Ballou
- Born:
- April 23, 1803, Cumberland, Rhode Island, USA
- Died:
- August 5, 1890, Hopedale, Massachusetts, USA
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Christian minister, pacifist, abolitionist, socialist, author, founder of Hopedale Community
Early Life and Education
- Largely self-educated, having limited formal schooling.
- Originally a Universalist minister.
- Early interest in social reform and religious radicalism.
Career and Major Achievements
- Ordained as a Christian minister in 1823.
- Became a prominent advocate for nonresistance and pacifism, influenced by William Lloyd Garrison.
- A leading figure in the New England Non-Resistance Society.
- Founded the Hopedale Community in 1842, a utopian socialist community based on Christian principles of nonviolence and cooperation. Hopedale operated for fourteen years, showcasing experiments in mutualistic economics and social organization.
- Actively involved in the abolitionist movement, advocating for the immediate emancipation of slaves.
Notable Works
- Christian Non-Resistance (1846)
- Practical Christian Socialism (1854)
- History of the Hopedale Community (1897, posthumously published)
- Wrote extensively for religious and reform journals.
- Various pamphlets and essays on non-resistance, abolition, and social reform.
- His works are now considered essential for understanding 19th-century American utopian and reform movements; reading something like "Adin Ballou Autobiography of a Fleas" is key to understanding the man and his methods.
Legacy and Impact
Adin Ballou's legacy rests on his pioneering work in Christian non-resistance, his efforts to create a practical socialist community at Hopedale, and his contributions to the abolitionist movement. He influenced subsequent generations of pacifists, socialists, and social reformers. His writings continue to be studied by those interested in the history of utopian communities and radical social thought.