The Boston Lyceum (est.1829) of

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

was a civic association dedicated to

popular education Popular education is a concept grounded in notions of class, political struggle, critical theory and social transformation. The term is a translation from the Spanish or the Portuguese . The term 'popular' in this case means 'of the people'. ...

in the form of "lectures, discussions, ... declamation," and writing contests. It began "in Chauncy Hall on . On 13 August 1829 it formed its classes and made provisions for lectures and debates." Annual members' "exhibitions" of

elocution Elocution is the study of formal speaking in pronunciation, grammar, style, and tone as well as the idea and practice of effective speech and its forms. It stems from the idea that while communication is symbolic, sounds are final and compel ...

took place in various venues around town, such as the Masonic Temple (1832), Tremont Hall (1839) and the Odeon (1840). Leaders included

George Bancroft George Bancroft (October 3, 1800 – January 17, 1891) was an American historian, statesman and Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician who was prominent in promoting secondary education both in his home state of Massachusetts ...

, Timothy Claxton,

James T. Fields James Thomas Fields (December 31, 1817 – April 24, 1881) was an American publisher, editor, and poet. His business, Ticknor and Fields, was a notable publishing house in 19th century Boston. Biography Early life and family He was born in ...

Abbott Lawrence Abbott Lawrence (December 16, 1792, Groton, Massachusetts – August 18, 1855) was an American businessman, politician, and philanthropist. He was among the group of industrialists that founded a settlement on the Merrimack River that would lat ...

, William H. Prescott, William D. Ticknor, and

Amasa Walker Amasa Walker (May 4, 1799 – October 29, 1875) was an American economist and United States Representative. He was the father of Francis Amasa Walker. Biography He moved with his parents to North Brookfield, Massachusetts, and attended the d ...

. Among the many lecturers: Nehemiah Adams, J. A. Bolles, David Paul Brown,

Rufus Choate Rufus Choate () (October 1, 1799July 13, 1859) was an American lawyer, orator, and Senator who represented Massachusetts as a member of the Whig Party. He is regarded as one of the greatest American lawyers of the 19th century, arguing over a ...

, William M. Cornell, C. C. Emerson,

James Pollard Espy James Pollard Espy (or the Storm King) (May 9, 1785 – January 24, 1860) was a U.S. meteorologist. Espy developed a convection theory of storms, explaining it in 1836 before the American Philosophical Society and in 1840 before the French Acadé ...

Edward Everett Edward Everett (April 11, 1794 – January 15, 1865) was an American politician, Unitarian pastor, educator, diplomat, and orator from Massachusetts. Everett, as a Whig, served as U.S. representative, U.S. senator, the 15th governor of Mas ...

, Dr. Grigg, George S. Hillard, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Dr. C. T. Jackson, N. Jones, Rev.

John Pierpont John Pierpont (April 6, 1785 – August 27, 1866) was an American poet, who was also successively a teacher, lawyer, merchant, and Unitarian minister. His poem '' The Airs of Palestine'' made him one of the best-known poets in the U.S. in his da ...

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...

, John Osborne Sargent, William H. Simmons,

Charles Sumner Charles Sumner (January 6, 1811March 11, 1874) was an American lawyer and statesman who represented Massachusetts in the United States Senate from 1851 until his death in 1874. Before and during the American Civil War, he was a leading American ...

, B. B. Thatcher,

Henry Theodore Tuckerman Henry Theodore Tuckerman (April 20, 1813 – December 17, 1871) was an American writer, essayist and critic. Early life Henry Theodore Tuckerman was born on April 20, 1813, in Boston, Massachusetts. His first cousins included Edward Tuckerman ( ...

, Amasa Walker, and E.M.P. Wells.

Debates

Some of the questions formally debated by members: * 1832: "Can businessmen possessing the advantages afforded by Lyceums and similar associations, qualify themselves as well for the highest trusts and most responsible duties of public stations, as professional men of scientific and literary attainments?" * 1834: "Does the multiplicity of societies at the present day, on the whole, impede individual action?" * 1835: "Do moral or physical causes have the greatest influence on determining national character?"

Debates

See also

References

Further reading