Joseph Smith and the Mormons at Nauvoo, 1839-1846 -- Etienne Cabet and the Icarians at Nauvoo, 1849-1860 -- Eric Jansson and the Janssonists at Bishop Hill, 1846-1862 -- Comparisons of Smith, Cabet and Jansson -- Theophilus Sweet and the Fourierists at Loami, 1845-1848 -- George Pullman and his employees at Pullman, 1881-1899 -- John Dowie and the Dowietes at Zion, 1901-1942 -- Comparisons of the six communities

"The Prairie State became a crucial testing ground for the grand American thought experiment on how a society should be constructed. Between 1839 and 1901, six different utopian communities chose Illinois as the laboratory and sanctuary to elevate their ideals into reality. The Mormons and the Icarians selected Nauvoo. The Janssonists picked Bishop Hill. The Fourierists settled on the north edge of Loami. The employees of the Pullman Railroad Car Company naturally resided in Pullman, and the Dowietes put down roots in Zion. Three were religious and the others secular. All possessed charismatic leaders and dramatic stories that drew attention from across the globe. Randy Soland examines the relationship between these havens and their legacies."--Page 4 of cover