Jesse Lyman Hurlbut’s The Story of Chautauqua chronicles the rise of one of America’s most influential movements in adult education and popular culture. Born at Lake Chautauqua in New York, the Chautauqua movement combined education, religion, music, and entertainment, spreading learning to ordinary Americans through summer assemblies and reading circles.
Hurlbut, deeply involved in the movement, traces its origins, leaders, and expansion across the country, describing how it brought lectures, courses, and culture to communities far from universities. The book is both a history and a celebration of a remarkable experiment in democratic education. For readers interested in the history of adult learning, religious culture, and American social life, it offers a detailed and affectionate account.