Between 1830 and 1840 Clinton County, NY, had a population of less than 30,000 and Plattsburgh had approximately 1,000 families. Andrew Jackson was President, the area was humming with new businesses, and local men and women were discussing the news of the day in lyceums, public forums which featured lectures and debates.
In Plattsburgh, the local Academy provided semi-monthly Wednesday evening discussions organized by the Plattsburgh Lyceum. Topics were current, most times relevant, sometimes historical, and sometimes just floating an opinion, like: “Is love a stronger passion than hate?” or “Should marriage be enforced after the age of 30?” [Read more…] about 19th Century Lyceums Debated the Issues of the Day
