Douglas, Paul

Paul Douglas is a Professor of English at Towson University in Baltimore and the coordinator of the American Studies program there. He received his PhD in American Studies from George Washington University.

Architecture, Artifacts, and Arts in the Harmony Society of George Rapp. The Material Culture of a Nineteenth Century American Utopian Community

2008 0-7734-4877-2
While much has been written about the relationship between Shaker furniture and Shaker beliefs, little has been written about other communal groups whose philosophy differed from that of the Shakers. The Harmony Society’s evolving interactions with the outside world in both economic and artistic areas were reflected in its material culture. This study shows that the Harmonists adapted to changing conditions and created villages that met the social, cultural, educational and religious needs if its members. This book contains thirty black and white photographs and eleven color photographs.

Voyage to the Country of Liberty by Louis Jacolliot 1876: Communal Life in the United States ("Voyage au pays de la liberté: la vie communale aux Etats-Unis") by Louis Jacolliot (1876)

2007 0-7734-5244-3
This is the first translation into English of French magistrate Louis Jacolliot’s 1876 travel narrative to California. In this work, Jacolliot presents this small California town as a utopian community where the villagers practice participatory democracy and benefit from educational, governmental and journalistic systems unlike their rigid and authoritarian counterparts in France. During a period of social and political upheaval in France, Jacolliot uses the travel narrative to convince his French readers of the merits of American politics and culture. This work should appeal to those interested in travel literature, California history, American studies, and French history. This book contains 4 black and white photographs.