The Y.M.C.A. came to North America in 1851, and quickly spread throughout the United States and Canada. Its first purpose was to gather young men for Bible study, but it soon grew beyond that. In 1860, this Greenfield, Massachusetts, event was offering a typical program for the day- a lyceum-type debate (lyceums were public lectures or discussions). The debate posed the many problems the United States was facing in its attempt to grapple with the issue of slavery. Here, two members had worked up arguments in favor of the inevitability of secession, debating two others who argued otherwise.
Greenfield Gazette and Courier. “Young Men’s Christian Association Meeting.” January 30, 1860. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l02-105/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
Please note: Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.