The Spelling Bee Craze

In Dakota Territory, the outbreak of spelling bees in the late 1880s was…

An episode of the Plains Folk podcast, hosted by Tom Isern, titled "The Spelling Bee Craze" was published on March 21, 2026 and runs 4 minutes.

March 21, 2026 ·4m · Plains Folk

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Summary

In Dakota Territory, the outbreak of spelling bees in the late 1880s was commonly referred to as a “craze.” Since publication of The Hoosier Schoolmaster in 1871 the craze, epidemic, or infatuation with spelling bees, as it was variously called by cultural commentators, had constituted a conscious revival of old custom. When announcing a spelling bee on the prairies, organizers almost always referred to the event as “an old-fashioned” or “old-time spelling bee.”

Episode Description

In Dakota Territory, the outbreak of spelling bees in the late 1880s was commonly referred to as a “craze.” Since publication of The Hoosier Schoolmaster in 1871 the craze, epidemic, or infatuation with spelling bees, as it was variously called by cultural commentators, had constituted a conscious revival of old custom. When announcing a spelling bee on the prairies, organizers almost always referred to the event as “an old-fashioned” or “old-time spelling bee.”

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