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The earliest forms of socialism are evident in the early 19th century with the establishment of what was called 'Utopian' Socialism, a form of socialism that focused on establishing communities that had a goal to develop communities that functioned with where there would be minimal social ills made possible through collective social action. These communities could serve as examples to the large larger country and thus eventually influence national policies. Many such communities were established in the United State, mostly by European settlers, who had developed their ideas in Europe but attempted to practice their community beliefs in the United States because it was seen as a place that afforded the space and political opportunity to create new communities. Brook Farm in Massachusetts and town of Bethel, Missouri are two such examples. Some of these communities were inspired by Christian beliefs and socialism, while others were inspired by German Idealism philosophy, such as that supported by Immanuel Kant, and the Romanticism movement in Europe which viewed as individuals and institutions having been corrupted by society. This developed into the Transcendentalism movement in the United States during the 1820s-1830s. Brook Farm was one of their well-known communities, established in 1841 by George Ripley, that once included Nathaniel Hawthorne and Ralph Emerson. The Transcendentalists were influenced by Charles Fourier, a prominent French Socialist thinker of the Utopian movement. At Brook Farm, the community attempted to pool their labor and resources so that intellectual and scientific pursuits could be followed by the community. By 1849, the community was financially insolvent, as the farming used for communal money proved unprofitable, and the farm itself was sold (Figure 1).<ref>For early history of American socialism and Utopian socialism, see: Taylor, K. (2016). <i>Political ideas of the utopian socialists</i>. Routledge. </ref>