A BRUEF HISTORY OF CYRUS TEED AND THE KORESHANS

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Also, there are several paintings by Paul Sergeant.
At the time Koreshan paintings covered the walls of the Hall.
(More paintings by Sergeant)

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THE STEINWAY PIANO 52

When the Koreshins moved from Chicago to the
Estero area in the mid-1890’s they brought with
them 15 box cars of goods and personal property
included this Steinway Piano.

Steinway & Sons

This Steinway piano donated by an E. Bonnell, a teacher for Morristown, NJ, when they
joined the unity.

This piano has only 85 keys rather than the standard 88 keys. 88 keys became standard
in 1890. Before that time there was no standard number of keys for pianos. The number
of keys would vary from somewhere in the 60s to somewhere in the 80s. The piano you
see here was made in 1885 and is 131 years old (in 2016) Serial number between 50,000

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& 55,000. It was not until 1857 that a piano was created with lavishly carved case and
legs, like the one here at the Park.
Learn More about the Steinway

Steinway & Sons was founded on March 5, 1853, by
German immigrant Henry E. Steinway in a Manhattan loft
on Varick Street.
Henry was a master cabinet maker who built his first
piano, an upright, in 1836 at the age of 39 in the kitchen
of his German home.

Henry E. Steinway (1797–1871- age 74 at death)

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UPRIGHT PIANO 54

Up until this time the Steinway was an upright
model, like the one on the left. A piano, with legs -
Serial #1225, is believed to be the first-ever Steinway
Art Case piano (1857).

Henry Steinway lived 74 years.
(1797–1871).
Saturday, March 5, 2016, marks the 162nd
anniversary of Steinway & Sons. 13

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13 The 85th anniversary would have been in 1921 from the date of the first piano and in 1938 from the date of incorporation. From Steinway birth in 1797 plus 85 years would be
1882. (This piano did not celebrate the 85th anniversary of birth, first piano made or the first piano made after incorporation.

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Did the Koreshans have access to any educational facility?
Yes - The Pioneer University of Koreshan Universology.
The Koreshans established a University in 1904 (Teed then age 65) The Pioneer
University of Koreshan Universology. The University, at that time, seemed to
emphasize the trades rather than the arts although the arts, music, painting, etc.
were taught. The trades would have made the University more akin to a Trade
School than a Liberal Arts College of modern times.
Included in its curriculum was what was considered to be Useful Trades such as
Construction; Patternmaking; Electrical; Mechanical; Stone construction, as well as
Music and Art.
Who built the University?
It was the Professors and students that built the University.

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Why did Dr. Teed believe that the Earth was hollow and we
lived inside it?

THE KORESHAN WORLD:
DR. TEED’S VISION OF THE WORLD

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Koreshanity is a set of religious/scientific beliefs put forth by Cyrus Teed
(also known as Koresh).

Cellular Cosmogony14, which is Teed’s unique form
of Hollow Earth Theory which puts forth the idea that
the Earth and the universe are contained within a
concave sphere, or “Cell”.

In this theory:
The earth’s shell is one hundred miles thick and has
seventeen layers. The outer seven are metallic with a
gold “rine” on the outermost layer, the middle five are

mineral and the five inward are geologic strata. Inside the shell, there is life, outside a
void."

14 Note: Cosmogony is the science of dealing with how the universe was created. While Cosmology is the science of dealing with what the universe
is doing now.

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Credit – Dr. Teed’s book: "The sun is an invisible electromagnetic battery revolving in
the universe's center on a 24-hour cycle. Our visible sun is only a reflection, as is the
moon, with the stars reflecting off seven mercurial discs that float in the sphere's center.
Inside the earth, there are three separate atmospheres: the first composed of oxygen and
nitrogen and closest to the earth; the second, a hydrogen atmosphere above it; the third,
was “aboron.15”(sic)

Perspective on Teed’s theory of a hollow earth:
Much of what Teed believed regarding the Hollow Earth Theory, Teed said was given to
him in his Illumination in 1869. A land survey was authored by Dr. Ulysses Grant
Morrow and Dr.Teed to confirm this theory but later editions of the book Cellular
Cosmogony dropped Morrow's name. Also, Teed was not alone in his opinion notable
scientist of the day also believed in the Hollow Earth Theory: (Learn more)

15 Perhaps a maid up word,

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Was the Naples survey flawed?
There are at least three reasons why the survey may have been flawed.
1. The Bias factor. That is, when one starts out to prove a particular theory, there
would be the tendency to dismiss any facts that tend to disprove the theory, no matter
how sound, and to allow any fact that supports the theory, no matter how week, to prove
their point.
2. Also, they did not take into consideration the fact that a wooden device 48 feet in
length, such as the Rectilineator, will warp under its own weight and thus would have
skewed the result.16
3. Last, the technical competence of the surveyor. Dr. Morrow, though no doubt a
brilliant man, taught shorthand and business in college not surveying or even math.

16 Besides geology, Dr. Teed also denounces the scientific method, the Copernican theory, the atomic theory,
modern chemistry, conventional surveying techniques, and last but not least, optics. Truly, 'everything you
know is wrong.'

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BACKGROWN ON HOLLOW EARTH THEORY
Other Scientist such as
Leonhard Euler (1707-1783) mathematician, physicist, astronomer,
logician and engineer.
Sir Edmund Halley (1656-1742) of Halleys’ Comet fame,

Sir John Leslie (1766-1832) mathematician and physicist
John Cleves Symmes Jr. (1780-1829) was an American Army officer, trader, and
lecturer. Symmes is best known for his 1818 variant of the (now-discredited) Hollow
Earth Theory, which introduced the concept of openings to the inner world at the poles.

As well as the writer Jules Vern’s (1828 - 1905) Jules Vern was a contemporary of Cyrus
Teed (1839 - 1908) all were proponents of the Hollow Earth Theory.

Richard E. Byrd (1888) – 1957) An Admiral in the U.S. Navy believed in the Hollow
Earth theory and that it was inhabited by some alien life forms. For the thinking of the
day, Cyrus Teed was in good company.

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This Cell Theory may seem to some to be a little left
of center. However, keep in mind that 200 years
before most everyone, including the church, believed
the world was flat, and the sun revolved around it.
However one can see from the biblical reference in
Revelation 7:1 that refers to four angels standing on
the four corners of the earth, and perhaps, how this
could be interpreted as the earth being flat like a
table having four corners.
Of course, I am not saying we should see it this way now, but can you understand how
the people including the church of 300, 400 or 1000 years ago may have? Every
generation believes that they alone have a handle on the truth only to be laughed at for
their beliefs by the next generation.

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Please keep in mind that there have been many
views on the subject of the earth and its origin,
including the Flat Earth and Giant Turtle
Theories. Also, even today there are those that
believe that the earth was created in 6 days about
10,000 years ago while others believe it was
created by the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago.
Who is right is not the point here but the fact that
there are many opinions on such matters.

It was not until 1492 when Columbus sailed from Europe to
the Americas that the church was forced to consider that the
world may not be flat. Can you imagine how brave the sailors
must have been, thinking, at any moment, they may sail off the
edge of the world?

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Galileo Galilee
“Galileo went on to propose a theory to the tides in 1616, and of comets in 1619; he
argued that the tides were evidence of the motion of the Earth. In 1632 Galileo, now an
old man, published his Dialogue Concerning the
Two Chief World Systems, which implicitly
defended heliocentrism, (that is that the sun is the
center of the solar system) and his theory was
immensely popular. Responding to a mounting
controversy over theology, astronomy and
philosophy they, the church, tried Galileo in 1633
and found him “vehemently suspect of heresy”
sentencing him to indefinite imprisonment. Galileo was kept under house arrest until his
death in 1643.” But was Galileo correct in his theory that the earth revolves around the
sun? The world and the church did not believe it to be so! Thinking him, Galileo to be
wrong and that he was: “vehemently suspect of heresy”. The point is that just because
the majority of people think something it right does not make it so.

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And it was in 1925 only 91 years ago that Edwin Hubble
discovered that the Milky Way Galaxy was not the only
one but one of the billions in the universe and the
universe, space itself is expanding. Given rise to the
“Big Bang Theory.

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And of course, Albert Einstein’s discovery that space and
time are related, called space/time. Einstein, perhaps the
greatest scientific mind ever to live, could not get a job
with any university or college after graduating from
college, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, because
they thought he was a dreamer. He had to accept a job as an
assistant patent clerk. He developed the general theory of
relativity, one of the two pillars of modern
physics (alongside quantum mechanics).[1] [3]:274
Einstein's work is also known for its influence on
the philosophy of science.[4] [5]

Add to this the theory of Dark Energy and or Dark Matter
and you may feel like your head is going to explode.

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So please don’t be too hard on Dr.
Teed’s theory of Cellular Cosmogony
he was in good company. Is this theory
any more or less irrational than the Big
Bang Theory or that our universe is
expanding and time and space are the
same substance or in some way
connected? Thinking outside of the
box often will get you in trouble but
also can get you the truth.

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How did Dr. Teed come up with his theory of a hollow earth?
Dr. Teed’s Experiment: Dr. Teed’s could not
believe that God would create a universe that
could not be understood by man.
Dr. Teed was in charge of an operation using
something called the Rectilineator on Naples
beach from March through April 1897 and was
his attempt to prove the Cellular Cosmogony
which he believed was given to him by God in a
vision. The survey was conducted by Dr. Ulysses
Grant Morrow. Using a device call a
Rectilineator beliefs, about the nature of God
and the nature of the Universe were very

important to the Koreshans in later years.17 See also: Concave Earth Theory.18 Several
twentieth-century German writers, including Peter Bender, Johannes Lang, Karl Neupert,
and Fritz Braun, published works advocating the hollow Earth hypothesis, or
Hohlweltlehre (German). It has even been reported, although apparently with very little
historical documentation, that Adolf Hitler was influenced by concave Hollow-Earth

Several twentieth-century German writers, including Peter Bender, Johannes Lang, Karl Neupert, and Fritz Braun, published works advocating the hollow Earth
hypothesis, or Hohlweltlehre. (Wagner, 1999).

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ideas and sent an expedition in an unsuccessful attempt to spy on the British fleet by
aiming infrared cameras up into the sky (Wagner, 1999).19 Learn more see (page 184)
below (HOLLOW EARTH THEORY).

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19 http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/hollow/morrow.htm

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How did the Koreshans support themselves at the Unity?

The Koreshans were ahead of the population of South Florida in culture and education as

well as industry. While Fort Myers was little more than a cattle town the Koreshans

businesses at Estero included:

1. Electrical Works,
2. Tin Works,
3. Mattress Making Shop,
4. Hat and Basket Weaving Shop,
5. Shoe Shop,
6. Blacksmith Shop,
7. Print Shop,
8. Publishing House,
9. Laundry,
10. Dining Hall,
11. Bakery,
12. Fishing,
13. Saw Mill,
14. Boat Works,
15. Icehouse,
16. Honey farm,

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17. Citrus farm,
18. Cattle farm,
19. Bakery,
20. Dressmaking,
21. General Store,
22. Post Office,
23. Western Union Office,
24. Restaurant,
25. Hotel,
26. Gas station,
27. Watch Repair,
28. Grade & High school,
29. A University and Trade School,
30. Theatrical and orchestral performances,
31. Concrete Works,
32. Plant Nursery.

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They bought a furniture plant at Bristol, Tennessee, in 1906 for $75,000, however, the
factory went broke, and Teed was left owing the balance of the mortgage.
They were also negotiating with the government of Honduras for a grant of 200,000 acres
of land for colonization.
They bought the San Carlos Hotel in St. James City as a possible site for the World
College of Life. However, sadly it burned down on July 26, 1905, while it was being
remodeled. Allegedly one of the workers left a smudge-pot, used to protect the workers
from mosquitoes, burning overnight that caused the fire.

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Why did the Koreshans believe Teeds’ teachings?
THEIR BELIEFS: (Most of which have their basis in the Bible.)
Disclaimer2: The biblical references referred to herein the following lists of Koreshan
beliefs are not intended by me to change your mind about your belief system but only
used to show how the Koreshans may have come to their conclusions. That is, like most
all religions, taking scripture literally or figuratively or metaphorically when it suited
their beliefs. Sifting through the Bible became the holy task of Prophet Cyrus (Korish)
Teed.
Some may feel the Koreshans be completely wrong but be aware that there are over
33,000 protestant denominations worldwide,20 each believing, to some degree or other,
they are right. The point is not who is right or wrong but that there a variety of opinions
on the topic of religion.

20 The 2001 edition, successor to his 1982 first edition, which took a decade to compile, identifies 10,000 distinct religions; of which 150 have 1 million or more followers. Within
Christianity, he counts 33,820 denominations.

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KORESHAN BELIEFS:

 Reincarnation, the belief that people are reborn. (2 Kings 2:9
& John 3:7). Learn More

 Immortality, the belief people, will not die. (1 John 2:25).
 Celibacy, the belief of abstaining from any sexual contact, which they felt was a

scientific method to obtain immortality. Although the Bible does not address the
topic, it is widely believed that Jesus was a celibate. (Learn more)
Ref: I Corinthians 7:32-40 & Galatians 5:19-21.
 Collectivism, the community lived communally, with everyone sharing in the work
without being paid money. Collectiveism began with the first commune in Chicago,
then lead to them moving to Estero and to build their "New Jerusalem” Acts 2:44-45.
 Alchemy, (science not religion) which was an area that Teed had experimented in
for years. Alchemy was a respected science of that day but the bible does not
mention the word alchemy.
 Last Teed's inspired leadership. Teed claimed to be the 'seventh' messianic leader21
(Jesus being the sixth).

21 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_messiah_claimants

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Note: There have been many, so called, Messiahs throughout history. Messiah was/is a
term meaning an “anointed one “and was someone with a special, God-ordained
purpose. There is no necessary connection between Jesus (The Son of God) and an
extensive list of others that were anointed for some special purpose. For more on the
topic of Messiah please Google - Messiah Also- Wikipedia free dictionary.
Note2: the established Church of Cyrus (Koresh) Teed’s time did not believe that he was
a Messiah. And the established church of Jesus time did not believe that He was a
Messiah either.
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Was the Unity a cult or sect?
Question: "What is the difference between a sect and a cult?"
The term Cult or Sect have been used loosely and interchangeably by contemporary
religions of that day as well as in modern times as meaning something wrong or evil or
at the best different.22 So, in the sense of different, then yes, the Koreshans could be
described as a sect.

SECT: However the word sect comes from the Latin word secta, which means “school
of thought.” It is a subjective term that may apply to a religious faith or denomination.
Keep in mind that in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s anything that was not Catholic,
Presbyterian or Lutheran were regarded, for the most part, by them as a cult or sect. That
is, a nontraditional religious belief system. The Koreshans did believe in Christ as being
The Son of God and the Bible but had beliefs that were nontraditional or different. So in
that regard, they would fit the definition of a Sect.

22 Credit: http://www.gotquestions.org/sect-cult.html

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CULT: The word cult always carries a negative connotation. There are specific criteria
used to identify a cult. In Combating Cult Mind Control, deprogrammer Steven Hassan
singles out what he refers to as “destructive cults,” which he defines as “a pyramid-
shaped authoritarian regime with a person or group of people that have dictatorial control.
A couple examples of a closed societies or cult would be Jim Jones (of the Peoples
Temple of the Disciples of Christ, and David Koresh of the Branch Davidian Church of
Waco, TX (no connection to the Koreshans). In more contemporary terms the Soviet
Union of Russia, as well as the Peoples Republic of China, would qualify as a non-
religious cult.

But unlike a cult and some other such Utopian communities that were not a closed
society23. They were open to the public as a whole. They interacted with their neighbors
in social, commercial and religious ways and would allow nonmembers in and members
out if the member chose to leave the Unity. That is when a woman reached the age of 18
and a man 21 they could leave the Unity at any time if they wished to do so.

23 A closed society is not open to the outside world or its influence. People outside the society are not allowed a say in any
matters of government or doctrine. Within the society the members are not allowed in all most all cases to interact with the
outside world. In an open society members may have a say in government and doctrine and could, if they choose to do so,
interact with outsiders. The Koreshans were an open society. And as such, would not fit the above definition of a Cult.

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In most, if not all, of the more established churches of that day to leave the church would
place one in jeopardy of Hellfire and the loss of their soul. A strong way to control the
members and give them a reason to stay!
Although, some of Dr. Teed’s beliefs may seem strange to our generation, Teed was
ahead of his time in several areas including equal rights and industry, as well as
fairness in matters of labor. Also, with a few exceptions they were not that far, from a
religious standpoint, from the beaten path. Perhaps, the theory of a Hollow Earth was
the most outlandish of their doctrinal beliefs, although many others of their day were also
believers in a type of Hollow Earth theory most, but not all of the others, believed that we
lived on the surface of the earth.

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Why were so many of Teed’s follower's women?
Women were regarded, as little more than the property of their
husbands at that time. A married woman could not own property, and no
women could vote. Any money earned by a wife belonged to the
husband. Even the marriage vows themselves demanded of the wife to
“love, honor and OBEY their husband. Please see 1 Peter 3.24 For the
most part, a biblical directive set aside.

Where did the concept of wives obedience to their
husbands come from the Church or the Bible? Well,
both - please see Eph. 5:22. As well as Titus 2:4-5
Even in the early church women were not allowed to
speak but must remain silent (I Cor. 14:34).

24 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

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Even children are admonished by the Bible to
obey their parents in everything but if a child
were to strike his parent they were to be PUT TO
DEATH.25 A biblical directive also set aside.

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25 Exodus 21:15 English Standard Version (ESV)

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However, the bible does not condemn slavery but even sanctions it. Should we not keep
in mind that in bible times women were
regarded as second-class citizens and slaves,
men or women, were regarded as property
with no rights at all?26 To a large part, most
of this was also true regarding civil rights of
Blacks, Asians, and American Indians.

I did find records of a few Blacks in membership in the
Koreshan Unity but could not find any record of Asians or
American Indians.

Note: On December 6th, 1865 the 13th amendment abolished
slavery. Passed by Congress and ratified February 3, 1870, the
15th amendment granted African American men the right to
vote. Women of any color were not allowed to vote until

26 Leviticus 25:44-46 ESV / 457 helpful votes as for your male and female slaves whom you may have: you may buy male and female slaves from among the
nations that are around you. You may also buy from among the strangers who sojourn with you and their clans that are with you, who have been born in your land,
and they may be your property. You may bequeath them to your sons after you to inherit as a possession forever. You may make slaves of them, but over your
brother’s the people of Israel you shall not rule, one over another ruthlessly.

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Women’s Suffrage in the early 1920’s whereby the 19th amendment granted women were
given the right to vote.

May I add this observation? In my research on this topic, I
found that many historians have attempted to downplay the
status of slaves and slavery trying to make us believe that it
was more like a job and men, and women would in some
cases willingly become the slave of another. However,
slavery is slavery. It is subrogation of one person over
another, in most cases if not all was without regard to the
rights or needs of the slave, and should be seen as wrong no
matter what the reason in the mind of the “master” may
have been. I find it hard to believe that any of the so-call
historians would have been willing to trade places with
anyone that was in slavery at any time in history and for any
reason. The fact that throughout history slaves have had no civil rights at all should
speak for its self.

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Background information in regard to women’s rights:

GENDERCIDE
Gendercide is killing someone based on their gender and is war on women.27” Even
today, “Amartya Sen, the Nobel Prize-winning economist said in 1990, that more than
100 million women are missing. ‘In India, China and some other countries in the world,
girls are killed, aborted & abandoned because they are girls. The United Nations
estimates as many as 200 million girls are missing in the world today because
of gendercide.

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27http://freethoughtblogs.com/taslima/2012/04/30/its-a-girl-kill-her/

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DIVORCE IN THE 18TH CENTURY

Divorce rate in 1900 was less than 10%.
Divorce rate today is over 50%.
Please keep in mind many couples today live in
untraditional marriages where government
records would not show the “marriage” as a
marriage or a “divorce” as a divorce. However,
more than half of marriages fail.

Divorce was frowned upon in the late 1800’s and
early 1900’s, and many women lived in quiet
desperation. Also, many women were unskilled or
uneducated and had large families and could not
afford to leave their husbands.

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MANY WOMEN WIDOWED:
More background on why women may have
come to the unity: The Civil War
Many women were widowed by the Civil
War that took the lives of 620,000 with
some estimates’ as high as 750,000 men!
51,000 Americans died at Gettysburg in
three days alone, almost as many deaths, in
a single battle, of the entire Vietnam War of
58,209. The widows were often, left with
large families and with no work skills or
resources they were impoverished. The

only jobs available, for most, were shopkeepers (if you could read and had some
math skills), domestic servants and prostitutes and of course the widow may
remarry.
Perspective: Wars ranked by American military deaths

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VICTORIAN AGE (1837 to 1901) – More background
Victorian Morality

The term represents the moral of the people living in the
Victorian times. It mainly refers to the moral climate in general
in Great Britain during the 19th century. Victorian morality
could be described as a set of values that supported sexual
repression, low tolerance of crime, and a strong social ethic.
Due to the enormous impact and importance of the British
Empire, many of these values were spread across the world.28

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28http://www.laura-cenicola.de/brithist2/brithist/8-1-introduction-into-victorian-morality-what-exactly-was-the-victorian-era.html

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WOMENS RIGHTS IN THE VICTORIAN AGE
During this time in history after a woman is married, her rights, her property, and even
her identity (taking on her husbands’ last name) almost caused her to cease to exist. By
law she was under the complete and total supervision of her husband: thus through
marriage, husband and wife became one person; whatever view he presented was the
unquestionable truth.

Not only did the husband have almost complete control over his wife’s body, since
beatings and marital rape were not illegal,
their children also belonged to him, as did
any property and money that the wife
brought into the house. Indeed it is
understandable to see why many women
saw marriage as falling little short of
slavery. Dr. (Korish) Teed even referred to
this condition as the “Slavery of marriage.”
However, Victorian society viewed marriage
as women’s natural and best position in
life, and men agreed, seeing marriage as an

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expected duty of women.29 One contemporary Victorian male, writing in a letter to a
friend, described the perfect wife as nothing more than an extension of his household
surroundings: “of course at a certain age, he goes on to say, when you have a house and
so on, you get a wife as part of its furniture” Ref: (Kent 91). 30

Google

29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_Victorian_era
30 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_Victorian_era#Victorian_morality_and_sexuality

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In reality women held an important position as wives since they took care of the
household, any servants, helped with their husband’s work, and managed the finances,
however from the male’s point of view, women were nothing more than overly
emotional and mindless creatures ruled by their sexuality, or simply “the Sex” Ref:
(Vickery 389) Learn More - Separate spheres31

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31 http://webpage.pace.edu/nreagin/tempmotherhood/fall2003/3/HisPage.html

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Dr. Teed offered women a way out. Members could join the
Unity as a family or as individuals. The woman could join the
Unity and if she had a husband she could bring him if he chose to
come. If the husband chose not to come she could come and join the group and bring her
children if she chose to and her husband would permit.

Were women given equal rights to men?
Equal rights as stated here had to do more
with job opportunities, education, and equal
pay; (using the point system). Matters of
political or religious importance, as well as
the governing of the Unity, were left in the
hands of Emperor Cyrus (Korish) Teed.
Having a say in matters of the Unity did not
mean that what they had to say would be
accepted. Remember, we still have Dr.

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Teed which was a self-proclaimed Prophet, Messiah, and Emperor. But the fact that they
had a say within itself in any matter to be
regarded at all as a consideration was a new
concept for the time. Women could take
almost any job offered in the Unity. The
women members were paid the same as
men using the credit system. (That is, one
credit for one hours work which could be
traded for goods at the Unity store. Men
could use the credits to have a cabin built for

them at the Unity). And from all reliable reports women were treated with kindness and
respect. That is not to say that there were not problems of disagreements among the
members. Simple logic would dictate that when you get any number of people together,
2 or 250 you are bound to have differing opinions and disagreements and rule breaking.
There is very little written record of unrest or rule breaking among the members; that is
if problems arose they were dealt with.

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What was life like for the members of the Unity and especially for women?
NO HOUSEWORK – Unless the member’s job was housework.
They did not have to do housework because the Unity had a maid service made up of
some of the members.
NO CHILD CARE
They did not need to care for their children because the Unity had a dorm and a
school composed of Unity members.
Although the parent could interact with the children or child, Dr. Teed felt that all
children should be loved by all members of the Unity equally and discouraged
members from showing favoritism to their own offspring(s) just as God loved all of
us His children equally.

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NO COOKING OR DISH WASHING
Meals were prepared and served in a common dining hall by some of the Unity members
whose job was cooking.

Everyone did his or her job and came back to their living quarters and relaxed, or studied
the arts, music or any other endeavor of their choice. I don’t want to imply that the
Koreshans had a comfortable life, they did not. They worked hard to build the Unity, a
home, out of the Florida swamp! But they were building a home for themselves rather
than for a European King or some other despot.

Men or women could enroll in the Koreshan Pioneer University and learn useful skills.
Especially for women, Blacks, Asians, and American Indians, who were discriminated
against, for them, it was a great opportunity. The important point is that the Koreshan
School allowed adults to attend. Adult Education was unheard of back then; thinking
only children could go to school. This was a revolutionary concept right up there with
women's rights.

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How did the Koreshans expect to survive into the future if they were celibate?

CELIBACY:
There is also this concept of celibacy. However,
keep in mind that a major respected modern day
religion still has its inner circle of leadership as
celibates.

And further, if the Koreshan member chose not to
be celibate they were allowed to do so. Also, they
could leave the Unity if they changed their minds
about marriage and family. As did Victoria Gratia who left the Unity to form her own
Commune but was unsuccessful in doing so. Then, two years after leaving she married
the Unity Dentist Dr. Addison Graves.

Remember, in the belief system of Koresh, being a Celibate was a scientific way to gain
Immortality (the ability to live forever; eternal life).

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Were some of the members of the Unity, not celibate?
Yes, there were three levels of membership that existed in the Koreshan belief system.
MEMBERSHIP LEVELS:
There was a tri-level system of membership.
PATRONS OF EQUATION The outer level was made up of non-believers who were
willing to work for the Unity. This group allowed for marriage and participation in the
secular aspects of the unity.
DEPARTMENT OF EQUITABLE ADMINISTRATION The middle group allowed
for marriage, but sexual relationships were only to be for the purpose of reproduction.
THE PRE-EMINENT UNITY The inner, core, group was the Celibate and Communal
group, which did not allow marriage and practiced celibacy.
Within each of these three levels were three distinct branches, the Secular System, the
Commercial System, and the Vocational System, with a total of nine groups.

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Did the Koreshins feel that sex was immoral?
I could find no indication that Dr. Teed or the Koreshins felt sex among married couples
for the purpose of procreation was immoral. The Koreshins believed in the bible and
followed, to the best of their understanding, its teachings. And the Bible is full of
scriptures regarding the marital relationship. In Genesis 1:28 God commanded that Adam
and Eve to “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it…” However,
sex, to the Koreshins, for any other purpose was seen as an unnecessary use of the
creative energy and did tend to draw people away from God’s purpose in their lives.
It was Dr. Teed’s belief that the way to gain immortality (eternal life) was to use this
sexual energy to birth spiritual life rather than only physical life or simply physical
pleasure. Please remember that Dr. Teed and Fidelia never divorced. Thus, it could be
argued that Dr. Teed did believe in the institution of marriage.

Perhaps it also could be argued that even though sex is the way physical life is brought
into existence, this same sexual energy could or even should be used to bring spiritual life
into existence. The sexual energy is creative energy at work. Even in many contemporary
Christian religions the process of gaining eternal life is called the “New Birth.”

But physical intercourse was regarded as little more than a necessary evil and its practice
should be limited to raising a family and not for any other purpose and the primary
purpose of this sexual energy was for the purpose of birthing eternal life.

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To purify one soul, they would have to refrain from the practice of sexual intercourse.
This attitude was encouraged by the contemporary churches of the time, and especially
the Catholic Church; that celibacy would give one merit in the sight of God.
In my opinion, setting aside Teed less than ideal marriage, it was most likely a
direct result and a remnant of the Victorian age (1837 to 1901) almost the
exact dates of Dr. Teed’s life…………………..….(1839 to 1908).
In that climate anything having to do with procreation (or sex) was thought of
as improper and was not spoken of.

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Is there any relationship between the Koreshans here in Estero and David
Koresh of the Branch Davidian Church of Waco, Texas?

Visitors to the park frequently ask if the Koreshans of
Estero had any relationship with David Koresh, the leader
of the Branch Davidian Church in Waco, Texas. It is ironic
that both groups had several things in common but had no
affiliation with each other. They both practiced communal
living with religion as a base. Both groups had a leader who
was a self-proclaimed “Messiah,” and both groups were
scrutinized by government agencies and both men changed
their names. David Koresh was originally named Vernon
Howell and Cyrus R. Teed changed his name to Koresh.

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What was the Koreshans New Jerusalem?
The Koreshans under the guidance of
Cyrus (Koresh) Teed carved out of this
wilderness which he planned to become
his New Jerusalem. After 1894, when
Teed was 55, he and the group moved to
this area that would become the small
Florida town of Estero. They, the
Koreshans, were seeking a place to build
Dr. (Korish) Teed’s vision of a "New
Jerusalem" in that locale.

The name Estero is Spanish for estuary – meaning where the river meets the sea.
However, at that time there was no town of Estero.
This Koreshan “New Jerusalem” would be the place where Dr. Teed (Koresh)
envisioned his 10,000,000 Koreshan membership would live and work.

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Around 1905 to 1908 the number of members in Estero reached its peak at around 250
members, mostly women. However, there were several other groups in different states
giving the larger overall total number of members (some sources say as many as 4,000.)
(Credit.)32

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32 There were apparently more believers around the country. Wikipedia: Eventually, Teed took his followers to
Estero, Florida, to form his "New Jerusalem" in 1894. The community was at its peak 1903-1908, when it had
over 250 residents. There were apparently another 4,000 believers around the country. Teed had a vision in
which he was to establish a utopian city of 10,000,000 with streets up to 400 feet (120 m) wide. Membership
declined following his death in 1908.

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How many buildings are there at the park?

THE BUILDINGS: Originally
the Koreshans had over sixty
buildings here on the grounds.
As membership declined after
Teed’s death in 1908 many of
the buildings were no longer
needed and were destroyed so
they would not have to pay taxes
on them. Today there are eleven
beautifully maintained historic
structures that date from 1882 to
1940.

More Photos of Koreshan State Historic Park
Also, see photos on (Page 183) of the early Unity.

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