The early American attitude of idealism and growth led many people to try their hand at being successful yeomen, holding and cultivating their own land for their own benefit.  The old "establishment" ways were being challenged by a society that demanded improvement and change.  One of the artifacts of this was the creation of organizations and methods that fostered self-improvement.  During this talk, we will review two of these "continuing education" methods of the 19th century that brought high-quality educational opportunities to the areas remote from the universities of the day.  The first was the Lyceum movement, which brought famed lecturers on a traveling circuit.  The second was the Chautauqua movement, which added additional content areas for self-improvement, introspection, and entertainment.  We will see how Lyceums and Chautauquas were implemented, with special case studies among the communities in and around Essex County, Massachusetts.

Similar to many genealogists, Joseph Jackson has blended his talents learned from his occupation into his approach to family history research.  By day he is a research engineer helping unmanned aerial vehicles fly more safely.  By night he is a history sleuth, searching for connections among his ancestors.  He serves on the Wilmington Historical Commission and seeks to understand the context for the clues within the writings that our forebears have left behind.  Joe lives in Wilmington, Massachusetts with his wife Jennifer and their four boys.