Shakespeare Riots

In at least one section Friday, many of you were interested by brief reference to the so-called "Shakespeare Riots." In 1846, a violent uprising was born of an ongoing dispute between fans of the eminent British actor William Charles Macready and those of his upstart American rival, Edwin Forrest. By the end of it, the National Guard had taken to the streets of Manhattan, and 26 people were dead--"largest loss of civilian life due to military action since the American Revolution," according to this Boston Globe article.

If you're interested in all this, check this NPR story. This, of course, has no direct connection to the topics of our class, other than to point out that the pernicious and commonplace distinctions between "high" or elite culture and "low" or popular culture are not inflexible, but rather, are always shifting.