What does it mean? It refers to a big-time cultural movement that swept the U.S. from the late 19th century to about 1932. Taking its name from Lake Chautauqua, New York, where Sunday School teachers gathered annually for a week of bible study, the Chautauqua movement grew into a touring program of lectures, music, and socializing under a big tent in the summer time. People would bring camping gear and furniture and would set up great tent cities for a week or more. The craze for Chautauqua programs spread across the continent like wildfire. At its height in 1924 the movement saw these week-long programs visit 12,000 towns and entertain 32,000,000 (that's million) people.

There are dozens of books about the Chautauqua movement, most or all out of print. One we like a lot is Times Were Simpler Then by Missourian Loula Grace Erdman. This is a book of memories of childhood in the early 20th century in western Missouri. It's found in libraries all over the country. A good recent book is Circuit Chautauqua by John Tapia, a professor at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph. John has also produced a video, Circuit Chautauqua: A Bridge Between Two Centuries, under grant from the Missouri Humanities Council. You can reach him for information at telephone (816) 238-7727.

A considerable amount of Chautauqua history can be found on Jeffrey Scott Maxwell's web site. Maxwell served for a dozen years on the Tulsa Chautauqua Committee, and he assembled a huge amount of background information. Although he hasn't updated his site in several years, it remains a treasure.

Modern-Day Chautauqua Revival

In the 1980s, Chautauqua returned as a history festival in which scholars impersonated people from the past and then engaged in discussion with the audience. The late Everett Albers, founding Director of the North Dakota Humanities Council, is credited with bringing Chautauqua back in this form from North Dakota to Oklahoma.

The Missouri Chautauqua dates from 1993 and was modeled on Ev Albers' "Great Plains Chautauqua."

The Chautauqua performers portray historic figures in full costume, speaking in the first-person to a crowd of several hundred people seated outdoors under a big tent. Some present a monologue based on their extensive research. Others perform a one-person play. At the end of each program they take audience questions, answering as they think their character might have answered. Finally, they step out of character and take additional questions. This exchange is often the most dramatic and exhilarating part of the program.

It takes an extraordinary person to succeed on the Chautauqua stage: part scholar, part actor, gifted in research skills and the talents of portrayal. If you have never experienced a Chautauqua, plan to do so! You'll experience community spirit as you remember the past and perhaps go away feeling like Teddy Roosevelt did when he said, "Chautauqua is the most American thing in America!"

 

updated 8/25/06