La Réunion, a French Settlement in Texas

The authors trace origins, ideals, organization, daily life, and decline of a French utopian colony in Texas inspired by Fourierist thought. They situate the settlement within wider European socialist movements, profile founders and immigrant settlers, describe the phalanstery plan, community institutions, and local attitudes, and recount the colony's practical difficulties and eventual breakup. Extensive quotations and documentary appendixes supply primary materials, including settlers' lists, incorporation acts, letters of introduction, and planning diagrams to support the narrative and facilitate further research.