Use this page to schedule a Living History Presentation in your school on Thursday, January 24, 2013 during the historic Florida Chautauqua Assembly!  Below are your choices.  Your Request Form is to the right.

President Theodore Roosevelt

The 26th President once said "Chautauqua is the Most American Thing in America." Now, you can have an armchair discussion with President Theodore Roosevelt (interpreted by Joe Wiegand of Tennessee). Enjoy this incredible monologue from the man you will believe is the 26th President of the United States sitting directly in front of you.  More information is available at www.teddyrooseveltshow.com

"Titanic Survivor"

Julie Hedgepeth Williams's great-aunt, Sylvia Caldwell, survived the Titanic tragedy, as well as Sylvia's husband Albert and infant son Alden.  Find out how Sylvia and her family were fleeing their jobs, wound up on the Titanic, were rescued, and how Albert has been telling their story at Chautauquas throughout the nation as Julie Hedgepeth Williams interprets her great-aunt's story well enough for you to believe you are really talking history with a Titanic survivor. 

Chautauqua Stars Clarence Darrow & William Jennings Bryan -

 Meet these friendly adversaries (interpreted by Gregory Garland of the U.S. State Department and Thomas Cloud, Esq. of Orlando, FL) and frequent political allies who were at the center of a national debate as opposing attornies in the Scopes Trial, formally known as The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes and informally known as the Scopes Monkey Trial. This was a landmark American legal case in 1925 in which high school science teacher, John Scopes, was accused of violating Tennessee's Butler Act, which made it unlawful to teach evolution in any state-funded school.

The Late Controversial Governor Sydney J. Catts

Meet one of Florida's most controversial and charismatic Governors, Sidney J. Catts (interpreted by Jim Moore), who maintained deep ties with the Chautauqua movement. Learn about the Reverend's gun-toting, Bible-thumping campaigning and the lingering suspicions of Catt's printing counterfeit money in the basement of his home just off the grounds of Florida's famous and historical Chautauqua Assembly in DeFuniak Springs, Florida.

John Wesley, Founder of Methodism

Because the original Chautauqua Assembly in New York was created by Methodists as a summer training institute for its ministers and Sunday school teachers, it seemed appropriate to invite the founder of Methodism, John Wesley (1703-1791), to be one of our presenters. Enjoy a presentation by Reverend Wesley (interpreted by Britt Poulson of Tallahassee) and hear his story of growing up in England, the founding of the Methodist church in America and how the Chautauqua movement began.

My class wants a Living History presentation on Thursday, January 24, 2013!