American Poly

Abstract This book provides a narrative of history of polyamory over the past century. It uses personal journals, underground newsletters, and other countercultural publications to trace the evolution of polyamorous thought and practice, setting it within the broader context of American culture. It reconstructs polyamory’s intellectual foundations, highlighting its unique blend of conservative political thought and countercultural spiritualism. It argues that while polyamory has its early foundations in the Roaring Twenties among bohemians, its core concepts were a product of the religious and sexual experimentation of 1960s counterculture. During that time practitioners of emerging New Religious movements drew from diverse sources including libertarianism, science fiction, neo-Paganism, pantheism, and goddess worship to create a new sexual ethics to replace the Judeo-Christian morality they rejected. Polyamory emerged as a coherent concept in the 1980s as these advocates embraced relational commitment while continuing to reject monogamy. They organized, held conferences, and created a national network. Throughout the 1990s, polyamorists utilized the internet to spread their ideas. When they did this, younger polyamorists took up their ideas, leaving behind their previous religious significance. It argues that the result was many different forms of polyamory proliferating within the American mainstream.