Cost and Registration Information

Early Registration Price (May 7 at 9 am** – May 24 at 4 pm): $170
Regular Registration Price (May 24 at 4 pm – first day of class): $187

** Registration opens online at 9 am. Phone registration will be accepted starting at 10 am.

Members, seniors, and students get a 10% discount.

This seminar has been cancelled.

Seminar Description

The city of Chicago has been at the forefront of alcohol policy struggles throughout its history, once home to temperance organizations, then a capital of organized crime during Prohibition, and more recently a center for new treatments for alcoholism. In this course, we will study figures like Frances Willard, Billy Sunday, and Al Capone as we piece together the story of one of the most significant issues in the cultural history of America. Focusing on the 20th century in particular and featuring items drawn from the Newberry's collections, this seminar will explore the long, tumultuous history of alcohol in Chicago.

Three sessions. E – $170, L – $187

Kevin Kaufmann is a historian of American culture. He holds a PhD in American history from Loyola University Chicago, where he wrote a dissertation on the cultural history and impact of Alcoholics Anonymous. In addition to producing a podcast on US history, he also teaches seminars at the Newberry, including a recent course on the history of baseball in Chicago.

Materials List

Required:

• Joe Binder, Al Capone’s Beer Wars: A Complete History of Organized Crime in Chicago During Prohibition. Prometheus Books, 2017. ISBN: 978-1633882850.

First Reading:

• For the first class, please read the first chapter of Al Capone’s Beer Wars: A Complete History of Organized Crime in Chicago During Prohibition.

This class is part of the Newberry’s Adult Education Seminars Program. Learn more about our registration procedures.