A Short Life-History of the Chautauqua

The Chautauqua has had a natural life-history, passing through the stages of idea, movement, and institutions. It first had a religious character, originating in the Sunday-school movement of the nineteenth century. Incorporation of other studies, activities, and entertainment features changed the Sunday School Institute into the Chautauqua Assembly, which evolved into the Chautauqua Institution and the Chautaqua Assembly Movement, with assemblies in various parts of the country. With increasing financial difficulties the field came to be entered by leaders of the lyceum movement, and the permanent Chautauqua assemblies gave place to the circuit Chautauqua. Changing social conditions--increasing means of communication and transportation, moving picture, radio, etc.--have resulted in declining interest in Chautauqua programs since the middle of the last decade. The old permanent Chautauqua and the circuit Chautauqua are now past history. There remains only the original assembly on Lake Chautaqua, which itself has changed in many ways

Aesthetics · Art · Entertainment · Institution · Movement (music) · Political science · Engineering · Evacuation and Crowd Dynamics · History · Law

• Circuit Chautauqua program brochures

  John Edward Tapia•Quarterly Journal of Speech•1981

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