. Cobblestone: The Chautauqua Story (July 1984).
The children's magazine issue explores the origin of "Chautauqua," the educational and entertainment activities that comprise a Chautauqua, the influence they had on American history and the arts, and famous people who spoke at or attended these institutions.
Canning, Charlotte M. The Most American Thing in America: Circuit Chautauqua as Performance. Iowa City, IA: University of Iowa Press, 2005.
Canning takes a look at the speeches, the children's programs, and the dramas performed on Chautauqua stages as uniquely "American" products reflecting small town unity and political ideas of the day.
Case, Victoria. We Called It Culture: The Story of Chautauqua. Denver, CO: Chapman Press, 2007.
Case takes on the question of what happened to chautauquas that were so once such a prevalent part of society.
Crocker, Kathleen and Jane Currie. Images of America: Chautauqua Institution, 1874-1974.. Mt. Pleasant, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2001.
This chronicles the history of the Chautauqua Institution, from its beginning in 1874 at Fair Point to its centennial celebration. Excellent black and white photographs accompany the history.
Noble, Fredrick Perry. "Chautauqua as a New Factor in American Life." in The New England Magazine., 90-101.March 1890.
This primary source views Chautauqua meetings as an equalizing force - for gender and class. The author said that the ratio of women to men during Chautauqua classes was "…about five to one." This article provides a good summary of Chautauqua and the democratization of America.
Post, D.H. "Chautauqua." in Harper's New Monthly Magazine., 350-360.August 1879.
This primary source outlines the original New York Chautauqua in its second year, beginning with a visit from President Ulysses S. Grant. The author supports both the educational and recreational benefits that Chautauqua provides. The article suggests recreation as a necessity for workers in the Industrial Age.
Rieser, Andrew Chamberlin. The Chautauqua Moment: Protestants, Progressives, and the Culture of Modern Liberalism, 1874-1920 . Irvington, NY: Columbia University Press, 2003.
In his 416-page work, Rieser critically and thoroughly examines this social movement and provides insightful context as well.
Schultz, James R. The Romance of Small-Town Chautauquas. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press, 2002.
This pictorial study of chautauquas provides illustration with over 100 historical photographs of this movement of education and entertainment from its inception to its decline in 1932.
Simpson, Jeffrey. Chautauqua: An American Utopia. New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams, 1999.
A readable look at the history of the education/vacation phenomena of Chautauquas. Includes both historical and modern images.
Tapia, John Edward. Circuit Chautauqua: From Rural Education to Popular Entertainment in Early Twentieth Century America. Jefferson, NC: MacFarland, 1997.
Tapia provides an overview of the lyceum movement and adult education in the 19th century and examines the rise and fall of the Chautauqua circuit. He sites the Great Depression and rise of the film industry as factors in its demise.
This website provides information on the current activities at the Chautauqua Institute in New York. Included on the website is a history and archives section with photographs of the founders and past sessions as well as a summary of the institute's inception and core programs.
Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, "Progressive Movement." http://www.eagleton.rutgers.edu/e-gov/e-politicalarchive-Progressive.h...
Highlights personalities of the Progressive Era.
Illinois State Museum, Harvesting the River: Archives: Images and Photographs, Booker T. Washington Speaks at Chautauqua. http://www.museum.state.il.us/RiverWeb/harvesting/archives/images/inde...
This archival resource on Harvesting the [Illinois] River provides a 1897 Havana Chautauqua Assembly program. This specific primary resource is entitled Booker T. Washington Speaks at Chautauqua. It gives an illustration of Booker T. Washington and describes the effectiveness of his speech made the day before in Havana, Illinois.
Mt. Gretna Community, "Chautauqua" http://mtgretna.net/community/chautauque.html
This section of Mt. Gretna Community website link explains the history of the Chautauqua in the area and how it continues today. Interestingly, it mentions the origin of the word "Chautauqua" as a Native American word meaning "bag tied around the middle." This describes the shape of the lake around which the first Chautauqua Institute was created in New York. The link "Mt. Gretna's History" is also informative, providing a wonderful description of the area beginning in the 1880s.
The Alicia Patterson Foundation., "The Lessons of Ida Tarbell." http://www.aliciapatterson.org/APF1804/Weinberg/Weinberg.html
More information on the life of Ida Tarbell and her involvement in Chautauqua.
The Complete Chautauquan Home Page., "The Complete Chautauquan: A Chautauqua Collection." http://members.aol.com/AlphaChautauquan/index.html
Begun in 2000 as a single website page by Jeffrey Scott Maxwell, this website has since blossomed to house a great depth of Chautauqua-related information. On the left-hand side of the page a box of website pages are listed. You can choose from a number of resources from "What is a Chautauqua?" to "Chautauqua Bibliography."
The Jimmy Stewart Museum, Indiana, Pennsylvania, "Hometown Boy" http://www.jimmy.org/biography
Jimmy Stewart's history beginning in his hometown of Indiana, Pennsylvania. This also includes mention of how he became a magician's helper on the Chautauqua circuit as a summertime job.
