The Lyceum Movement

Chris Jahoda

The Lyceum is an institution for popular education providing discussions, lectures, concerts, etc.

An example would be Aristotle’s Lyceum.

What is a Lyceum?

At age 50, Aristotle moved to Athens and purchased a group of buildings and gardens and established a school of higher education.

The school became famous for it’s Philosophy and Natural Sciences.

The school was dedicated to the God Apollo Lyceus.

What is Aristotle’s Lyceum?

The Lyceum Movement was the upbringing of adult education in the 19th century, before and after the Civil War.

Notable contributions to adult students:◦ Lectures◦ Dramatic Performances◦ Debates

What is the Lyceum Movement?

Josiah Holbrook organized the first lyceum society in November 1826 in Millbury Massachusetts.

Within a year 12 new lyceums were founded.

From then on it grew until the late 19th century.

When did the first “American” Lyceum appear?

Josiah Holbrook was born in 1788 and died in 1854.

He was an American educator and experimented with different schools where there was farming, manual training and formal instruction.

This was known an Agricultural Seminary. Afterwards he continued his conquest to

create a popular school of higher education with the Lyceum Movement.

Who is Josiah Holbrook?

The Lyceum Movement reached it’s peak during the Antebellum era.

This was the time preceding the Civil War and went from 1789-1849.

When did it reach it’s peak?

The Lyceum was mainly supported by well educated people. This would include writers, speakers, etc…

Who supported the Lyceum Movement?

A couple Transcendentalists to endorse the Lyceum were Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.

Who were some Transcendentalists to endorse it?

Some other people to endorse were popular figures such as◦ Susan B Anthony – Civil Rights leader (19th century).◦ Elizabeth Cady Stanton – Social activist, abolitionist,

important to early women’s rights movement.◦ Victoria Woodhull – Suffragist, leader of women’s suffrage

movement.◦ Anna Dickinson – Orator and lecturer, advocate of abolition

of slavery and women’s suffrage movement.◦ Mark Twain – Humorist and novelist.◦ William Lloyd Garrison – Abolitionist, journalist, voluntaryist

(free market anarchist), and social reformer.◦ and… Abraham Lincoln -16th President of the United States

Who were other people to endorse

After the Civil War, lyceums became venues in which travelling entertainers would perform.

Two examples are Vaudevilles and Minstrel shows.

What happened after the Civil War?

Completely unrelated acts combined into one show

Acts included:◦ Musician◦ Dancers◦ Comedians◦ Trained Animals◦ Magicians◦ And many more

It branched off Minstrel Shows.

What is a Vaudeville? What did it branch off of?

Minstrel shows were a variety of acts such as Comic Skits, dancing, music, etc…

It was performed by people in “Blackface”.◦ Blackface is the use of makeup on a white

entertainer to make themselves look African American.

Today Blackface is associated with racism and rightfully so considering it’s stereotypical depiction of African Americans.

Although Blackface is no longer in the United States, it still exists in other parts of the world.

What is a Minstrel Show? What is Blackface?

The Lyceum movement was the formation of adult education to help people understand and appreciate the arts, such as Literature . Famous Romantics endorse the idea and even gave speeches throughout the country. Without the Lyceum Movement today, our culture wouldn’t be the same. We would probably be uneducated in subjects such as music, art, literature, entertainment, etc… Without it, we would not be the country we are today.

Conclusion

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<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyceum_movement>."Josiah Holbrook." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 30

Mar. 2010 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"vaudeville." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 30 Mar. 2010 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"minstrel show." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 30 Mar. 2010 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Vaudeville." Wikipedia. Web. 31 Mar. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyceum_movement>.

"Minstrel Show." Wikipedia. Web. 31 Mar. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyceum_movement>

Works Cited