Oneida Stirpiculture - Origin of The Oneida Stirpiculture Experiment

Origin of The Oneida Stirpiculture Experiment

Up until the late 1860s, John Humphrey Noyes believed in only having children with purpose and preparation. In this communal society, it was not simply about the preparedness of the parents, but rather the preparedness of the community to support a new generation. "A mistake was considered a serious detriment to the society" (Kinsley 13). In the early years of the community, when poverty was an issue, the community did not feel adequately prepared to take on the raising and support of children. Therefore, procreation was discouraged in these early days before the financial successes of trap-building. An "accidental" conception was thought to be a failure in male continence, the act that was meant to prevent unwanted pregnancies through the withholding of male ejaculation during intercourse.

In the 1860s, the Oneida Community experienced a shift in the themes of reproduction philosophy. Noyes had begun to read Darwin's Principles of Breeding and Sir Francis Galton's papers and books on subjects ranging from anthropology, meteorology, horticulture, and eugenics (Circular, Vol II, No. 3, March 27, 1865). Thoroughly intrigued by his readings, Noyes expanded upon these ideas and considered the potential benefits in the use of scientific propagation to create a superior human being. Previous studies in eugenics set goals of a physically superior human being, but Noyes was more interested in perfecting the soul by breeding for religious and virtuous qualities.