Cabet, Etienne

Born in Dijon, France 1788, died in St. Louis, USA 1856; lawyer, theorist of Icarian communism, supporter of Robert Owen; practised law in Dijon until 1820; director of the Vente Suprème of the secret society Charbonnerie in Paris in 1822; after the revolution of 1830 attorney-general in Corsica, but dismissed on account of his criticism of the government; in exile in England from 1834; returned to France under the amnesty of 1839; took part in the 1848 uprisings; fled to the USA; founded the socialist colony Nauvoo, Illinois in 1849; together with Louis Blanc and Pierre Leroux founded the Union Socialiste in London 1851; returned to Nauvoo in 1852; when again dissensions arose in 1855 he left with 200 followers; his publications include H̀istoire populaire de la révolution française' 1839-1840 and V̀oyage en Icarie' 1840.