Why were some people in the 19th century interested in creating a utopian society

Utopian ideas and visions were a response to the terrible social conditions of millions of industrial workers in Europe.

The Industrial Revolution of the 18th-19th century changed the way goods were made and the economic and social structures of many countries. Artisans and all workers doing manual work practically went bankrupt and their professions disappeared. People moved to cities and worked in factories under a heavy regime; capitalism exploited workers - men, women, children alike - and they had no rights, no safety net, worked in very long shifts and lived in horrible conditions. So utopian ideas about a new society with justice and fairness were born and spread in Europe as a response to the harsh social reality of the new industrial society.