While Dedham was insulated to a great degree from the outside world in its early years, as time went on it was dragged into the greater society. One result was that, as residents began to see them as parts of a larger society, less emphasis was placed on the local community.
Dedham's early period of relative isolation gave way to its increasing connection with the larger community, resulting in a decrease in emphasis on local community relationships as residents began to see themselves as part of a larger social fabric.