Childhood in the Commune
In the late 1800s, women's suffrage movements rose across the United
States. Some women fought back against abusive husbands and attempted to
gain more power in the community. One example of this early attempt to fight back
was found in Belton, Texas, a town located in Central Texas. A woman named Martha McWhirter started a commune called the Woman's Commonwealth, also known
as the Sanctified Sisters. Members were predominantly women who separated from or divorced their unsanctified spouses,
largely due to abuse or unhappiness in their marriages. These women banded
together to create a commune that provided them with stability and gave them
control over their lives. Some women with children from marriages before their
sanctification brought their children to live with them at the commune. This
child rearing process confined these children and separated them from their
fathers, siblings, and other relatives. By analyzing the parental care, education,
and socialization of these children, it is evident the commune did not fit
their needs. This upbringing undoubtedly differed from life in a traditional
family setting, and ultimately changed the lives of these children for the
worse.
Fundamentally, many children who lived in the commune never maintained a personal relationship with their mothers. Children of members not only fell under the guardianship of their mothers, but also the Board of Directors.[i] The Board of Directors consisted of the leaders of the commune, such as McWhirter, who made the decisions. Communal child rearing replaced the traditional mother and father childrearing practices. Some parents committed their daughters to be members of the commune.[ii] This can be seen as a concern because a child’s relationship with his or her mother transformed from personal to indirect. More specifically, the rules of the commune required mothers to give up their relationship with their daughters.[iii] Perhaps the idea of being too close with their children meant mothers might devote less time to serving God and the commonwealth. Instead, this bond was replaced with a communal bond that consisted of the entire community taking part in raising the children. Even with these limitations, children had to earn affection, and sometimes disaffection, from their mothers and guardians.[iv] The commune limited motherly care and therefore could have led to a lack of attention towards the children’s emotional needs.
Another concern was the separation of families. The Board disallowed children who lived in the commune to visit their fathers, and children who lived with their fathers could not visit mothers in the commune. This shows that not all children of members lived within the commune and instead chose to live with their fathers. McWhirter’s daughter, Emma McWhirter, chose not to live with her mother. Indeed, she later revealed that the commune was “doomed” because it split up families.[v] Ada Haymond, another daughter of Martha McWhirter, felt differently and joined the Sanctified Sisters. Ada’s daughter, Hattie Haymond, expressed her desire to live with her mother during her parents' divorce, and she declared herself as sanctified.[vi] Haymond’s siblings chose to live with their father after the divorce. This indicates the children had conflicting views about the commune and in some cases chose to live separate from their siblings, adding to the list of separated family members. Haymond eventually left the commune despite McWhirter’s rule that children who left were unwelcome to return.[vii]
A third issue pertains to the educational practices of the community. The Sanctified Sisters relied on their religious faith, which they considered to be Christianity, to guide them while operating the commune. Children who lived within the commune attended a private school run by the sisters. Their teachers included McWhirter, Sister Nelson, and Josephine Rancier.[viii] The curriculum consisted of reading, writing, geography, arithmetic, spelling, and grammar.[ix] These subjects did not differ greatly from that of a public school, but were not the basis for the program.
The school’s curriculum revolved around the faith and beliefs of the Sanctified Sisters.[x] This means the children learned to practice celibacy, interpret dreams as visions from God, and abstain from visiting relatives outside the commune. By teaching their daughters celibacy and ignoring the topic of sexuality, the bond between mother and daughter may have been weakened by the lack of maternal reproduction.[xi] For example, one way mothers and daughters bond is by raising children and passing on maternal instincts by reproducing. According to the beliefs of the commune, members were not allowed to visit outsiders. Therefore the children did not visit any relatives, as noted earlier. Socialization was limited for the children, causing them to have a limited view of society. This rule not only applied to relatives, but also to people outside the commune. Members refrained from making outside visits, although outsiders could visit the commune.
The socialization skills of these children suffered due to their confinement. For example, McWhirter did not allow her daughters to attend balls and dances after her sanctification, and she took drastic measures to assure their obedience. She went to young men’s houses and forbid them to take her daughters to a dance.[xii] This suggests the daughters desired to interact with non-members.
Overall, the Woman’s Commonwealth of Belton failed the children’s emotional needs. The Sanctified Sisters eliminated the motherly bond with their children, and replaced it with a less personal community bond. The children had to choose between their parents, and faced ostracism by their mothers if they did not stay and live in the commune. Children learned the rules of the commune and either accepted them, or left. If they chose to stay, they did not have opportunities to socialize with people not associated with the commune unless they had visitors. Perhaps this is why the commune did not last long after Martha died. This suggests that without adequate attention and care for the younger generation, the commune could not have expanded, and ultimately failed. Perhaps Emma was right in her evaluation.
Endnotes
[i]Sally L. Kitch, This Strange Society of Women(Ohio: Ohio State University Press, 1993), 320. Hereafter referred to as: Kitch.
[ii]G.P.Garrison, “A Woman’s Community in Texas,” The Charities Review: A Journal of Practical Sociology (1893): 41.
[iii]Kitch, 318.
[iv]Ibid., 319.
[v] Katherine P. Respees, Some stories about Martha McWhirter and Her Family. (September, 1991). University of Mary-Hardin Baylor Library. Belton, Texas.
[vi] Haymond v. Haymond. Hattie Haymond’s testimony, No. 3037, Dist. Ct. of Bell Co., Texas(Oct 17, 1887). Hereafter referred to as: Hattie Haymond’s testimony.
[vii]Kitch, 319.
[viii]Haymond v. Haymond. Martha McWhirter’s testimony, No. 3037, Dist. Ct. of Bell Co., Texas (Oct 17,
1887). Hereafter referred to as: Martha McWhirter’s testimony.
[ix]Hattie Haymond’s testimony.
[x]Martha McWhirter’s testimony.
[xi]Kitch, 322.
[xii]“The Life and Spiritual Experience of Martha McWhirter,” (March 9, 1901), Sanctified Sisters vertical file, Bell County Museum, Belton, Texas. 4-5
Bibliography
Garrison, G.P. “A Woman’s Community in Texas.” The
Charities Review: A Journal of Practical Sociology (1893):
41.
Haymond v. Haymond. Hattie Haymond’s testimony, No. 3037, Dist.
Ct. of Bell Co., Texas(Oct 17, 1887).
Haymond v. Haymond. Martha McWhirter’s testimony, No. 3037,
Dist. Ct. of Bell Co., Texas (Oct 17, 1887).
Kitch, Sally L. This
Strange Society of Women. Ohio: Ohio State University Press,
1993.
“The Life and Spiritual Experience of Martha McWhirter,” (March 9, 1901), Sanctified
Sisters vertical file, Bell County Museum, Belton, Texas. 4-5.
Respees, Katherine P. Some stories about Martha McWhirter and
Her Family. (September, 1991). University of Mary-Hardin Baylor Library. Belton,
Texas.
Fundamentally, many children who lived in the commune never maintained a personal relationship with their mothers. Children of members not only fell under the guardianship of their mothers, but also the Board of Directors.[i] The Board of Directors consisted of the leaders of the commune, such as McWhirter, who made the decisions. Communal child rearing replaced the traditional mother and father childrearing practices. Some parents committed their daughters to be members of the commune.[ii] This can be seen as a concern because a child’s relationship with his or her mother transformed from personal to indirect. More specifically, the rules of the commune required mothers to give up their relationship with their daughters.[iii] Perhaps the idea of being too close with their children meant mothers might devote less time to serving God and the commonwealth. Instead, this bond was replaced with a communal bond that consisted of the entire community taking part in raising the children. Even with these limitations, children had to earn affection, and sometimes disaffection, from their mothers and guardians.[iv] The commune limited motherly care and therefore could have led to a lack of attention towards the children’s emotional needs.
Another concern was the separation of families. The Board disallowed children who lived in the commune to visit their fathers, and children who lived with their fathers could not visit mothers in the commune. This shows that not all children of members lived within the commune and instead chose to live with their fathers. McWhirter’s daughter, Emma McWhirter, chose not to live with her mother. Indeed, she later revealed that the commune was “doomed” because it split up families.[v] Ada Haymond, another daughter of Martha McWhirter, felt differently and joined the Sanctified Sisters. Ada’s daughter, Hattie Haymond, expressed her desire to live with her mother during her parents' divorce, and she declared herself as sanctified.[vi] Haymond’s siblings chose to live with their father after the divorce. This indicates the children had conflicting views about the commune and in some cases chose to live separate from their siblings, adding to the list of separated family members. Haymond eventually left the commune despite McWhirter’s rule that children who left were unwelcome to return.[vii]
A third issue pertains to the educational practices of the community. The Sanctified Sisters relied on their religious faith, which they considered to be Christianity, to guide them while operating the commune. Children who lived within the commune attended a private school run by the sisters. Their teachers included McWhirter, Sister Nelson, and Josephine Rancier.[viii] The curriculum consisted of reading, writing, geography, arithmetic, spelling, and grammar.[ix] These subjects did not differ greatly from that of a public school, but were not the basis for the program.
The school’s curriculum revolved around the faith and beliefs of the Sanctified Sisters.[x] This means the children learned to practice celibacy, interpret dreams as visions from God, and abstain from visiting relatives outside the commune. By teaching their daughters celibacy and ignoring the topic of sexuality, the bond between mother and daughter may have been weakened by the lack of maternal reproduction.[xi] For example, one way mothers and daughters bond is by raising children and passing on maternal instincts by reproducing. According to the beliefs of the commune, members were not allowed to visit outsiders. Therefore the children did not visit any relatives, as noted earlier. Socialization was limited for the children, causing them to have a limited view of society. This rule not only applied to relatives, but also to people outside the commune. Members refrained from making outside visits, although outsiders could visit the commune.
The socialization skills of these children suffered due to their confinement. For example, McWhirter did not allow her daughters to attend balls and dances after her sanctification, and she took drastic measures to assure their obedience. She went to young men’s houses and forbid them to take her daughters to a dance.[xii] This suggests the daughters desired to interact with non-members.
Overall, the Woman’s Commonwealth of Belton failed the children’s emotional needs. The Sanctified Sisters eliminated the motherly bond with their children, and replaced it with a less personal community bond. The children had to choose between their parents, and faced ostracism by their mothers if they did not stay and live in the commune. Children learned the rules of the commune and either accepted them, or left. If they chose to stay, they did not have opportunities to socialize with people not associated with the commune unless they had visitors. Perhaps this is why the commune did not last long after Martha died. This suggests that without adequate attention and care for the younger generation, the commune could not have expanded, and ultimately failed. Perhaps Emma was right in her evaluation.
Endnotes
[i]Sally L. Kitch, This Strange Society of Women(Ohio: Ohio State University Press, 1993), 320. Hereafter referred to as: Kitch.
[ii]G.P.Garrison, “A Woman’s Community in Texas,” The Charities Review: A Journal of Practical Sociology (1893): 41.
[iii]Kitch, 318.
[iv]Ibid., 319.
[v] Katherine P. Respees, Some stories about Martha McWhirter and Her Family. (September, 1991). University of Mary-Hardin Baylor Library. Belton, Texas.
[vi] Haymond v. Haymond. Hattie Haymond’s testimony, No. 3037, Dist. Ct. of Bell Co., Texas(Oct 17, 1887). Hereafter referred to as: Hattie Haymond’s testimony.
[vii]Kitch, 319.
[viii]Haymond v. Haymond. Martha McWhirter’s testimony, No. 3037, Dist. Ct. of Bell Co., Texas (Oct 17,
1887). Hereafter referred to as: Martha McWhirter’s testimony.
[ix]Hattie Haymond’s testimony.
[x]Martha McWhirter’s testimony.
[xi]Kitch, 322.
[xii]“The Life and Spiritual Experience of Martha McWhirter,” (March 9, 1901), Sanctified Sisters vertical file, Bell County Museum, Belton, Texas. 4-5
Bibliography
Garrison, G.P. “A Woman’s Community in Texas.” The
Charities Review: A Journal of Practical Sociology (1893):
41.
Haymond v. Haymond. Hattie Haymond’s testimony, No. 3037, Dist.
Ct. of Bell Co., Texas(Oct 17, 1887).
Haymond v. Haymond. Martha McWhirter’s testimony, No. 3037,
Dist. Ct. of Bell Co., Texas (Oct 17, 1887).
Kitch, Sally L. This
Strange Society of Women. Ohio: Ohio State University Press,
1993.
“The Life and Spiritual Experience of Martha McWhirter,” (March 9, 1901), Sanctified
Sisters vertical file, Bell County Museum, Belton, Texas. 4-5.
Respees, Katherine P. Some stories about Martha McWhirter and
Her Family. (September, 1991). University of Mary-Hardin Baylor Library. Belton,
Texas.