Amana (the Society of True Inspiration) was a settlement of German
pietists in Iowa, consisting of seven old-fashioned villages along
the Iowa River. The founders were German mystics who believed in
divine inspiration, and who traced their religious ancestry back to
the pietists of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. They
opposed Lutheran formalism, refused to take oaths and render
military service, and would not allow their children to attend
Lutheran schools. In 1817, the group experienced a spiritual
renaissance, and in 1842, several members came to the U.S. to
explore the possibilities available here. This advance guard
purchased 5,000 acres of the Old Seneca Indian reservation near
Buffalo, New York, and six villages were built for the 800
emigrants who came over. According to the constitution of 1843,
everything except clothing and household goods was to be held in
common. By 1854, the community was in need of more land, and the
time seemed appropriate for moving west. Eventually, it was decided
to buy land in Iowa, and the community of Amana was established. By
1862, six villages lay within a radius of six miles in the Iowa
River Valley, and the village of Homestead was bought outright to
make the seventh, so that the community had access to a railroad
for its produce. In 1859, the community was legally incorporated,
and lived under a simple constitution until 1932. During the Great
Depression in 1932, Amana decided to abandon communism, and
reorganized as a stock company with the usual rules applicable to
corporations in a capitalist society. By the end of the 1950s, over
thirty enterprises were in operation in the community, and many
newcomers are now employed at the various industries in the area.
Much remains to reflect the German religious heritage of the
community. Amana has become one of the major tourist attractions in
the Midwest due to its unique architecture, its interesting shops
and excellent restaurants. Amana may be seen as a community which
successfully adapted itself to the American scene, and which has
grown, prospered, and developed as a German-American community.
This history was originally published in 1891; this edition
includes a new introduction and full-name index.
General
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