1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:11,560 Speaker 1: a show for those who can never know enough about history. 4 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: I'm Gabe Louzier, and in this episode, we're looking at 5 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: the early days of a youth outreach movement whose four 6 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 1: letter name is now known around the world. The day 7 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: was December nine, eighteen fifty one. Retired Sea Captain Thomas 8 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: Sullivan helped establish the first y m c A in 9 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:43,239 Speaker 1: the United States in Boston. The Boston chapter of the 10 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: Young Men's Christian Association provided food, shelter, a safe place 11 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 1: for socialization and exercise, as well as Bible classes and 12 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 1: prayer meetings to those in need. It's overarching goal was 13 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 1: to protect young men who came to the city from 14 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 1: the vices of urban life, or, as Sullivan put it, quote, 15 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: to meet the young stranger as he enters our city, 16 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 1: and in every way throw around him good influences so 17 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,119 Speaker 1: that he may feel that he is not a stranger. 18 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 1: Sullivan's y m c A was patterned after the first one, 19 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 1: which had been established in London in the eighteen forties. 20 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:28,400 Speaker 1: At the time, industrialization had brought thousands of young adults 21 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 1: to London in search of work. They quickly found that 22 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: life in a bustling city was very different from that 23 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: of their rural family farms, and not always in a 24 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: good way. Many found jobs in factories and warehouses, as 25 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: they had hoped, but the working conditions there were much 26 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 1: harsher than expected, complete with twelve hour work days, six 27 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: days a week. Most of the transplants lived in crowded 28 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 1: boarding houses or in tiny rooms above the company office, 29 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:03,840 Speaker 1: separated from their families and communities for the first time 30 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 1: in their lives. Many of the young men turned to 31 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 1: the seedier aspects of city life for comfort. Some wasted 32 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 1: all their pay in taverns, brothels and gambling dens. Others 33 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 1: had it stolen outright by thieves and scammers who saw 34 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 1: the country boys as easy prey. One young man drawn 35 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: to city life in London was a former farmer named 36 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 1: George Williams. He had done all right for himself after 37 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: the move, finding steady work at a department store by 38 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: the age of twenty two. However, he was concerned about 39 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 1: his less fortunate peers. Not only was there physical health 40 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 1: at risk due to poor working and living conditions, Williams 41 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 1: believed they were in spiritual danger as well. His solution 42 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: was to provide healthier means of diversion for the city's 43 00:02:56,360 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: youth in order to keep them away from temptation. To 44 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: that end, Williams partnered with eleven like minded workers on 45 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:09,079 Speaker 1: June six, eighteen forty four. Together, they created the world's 46 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 1: first y m c A, with the mission to improve 47 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:17,559 Speaker 1: quote the spiritual condition of young men engaged in drapery, 48 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: embroidery and other trades. The idea was embraced by the public, 49 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 1: and y m c A chapters began to spring up 50 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 1: all over. Within ten years, there were around two dozen 51 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: y m c as in Great Britain alone. The idea 52 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: was also gaining traction in other countries that were experiencing 53 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 1: the growing pains of industrialization, including the United States. In 54 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty one, Boston native Thomas Sullivan read about the 55 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 1: organization and an article written by an American student who 56 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 1: had visited London. Sullivan had recently retired after a life 57 00:03:56,520 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 1: at sea and turned his attention to social outreach missionary work. 58 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 1: In eighteen forty eight, he founded Boston's Marine Mission at Large, 59 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 1: which ministered to sailors. Three years later, after learning about 60 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 1: the y m c A, Sullivan decided to bring the 61 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: program to Boston. On December fifteenth, he met with thirty 62 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:22,039 Speaker 1: one men from local city churches and wrote a set 63 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: of guidelines for what would become America's first y m 64 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 1: c A. Sullivan spent the next two weeks drafting and 65 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 1: redrafting the charter. Finally, on December twenty nine, the group 66 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:38,599 Speaker 1: reconvened and voted to adopt the constitution for the y 67 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:42,600 Speaker 1: m c A of Boston. The initial rules written by 68 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 1: Sullivan would remain in place for nearly four decades, serving 69 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 1: as the foundation for many other y m c A's 70 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 1: throughout the growing country. Within a few years, the organization 71 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: had spread throughout the United States, just as it had 72 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: done in Great Britain in the late nineteenth century. The 73 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: y m c A broadened the scope of its outreach 74 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 1: and began accepting young men, whether they were Christian or not. 75 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 1: It also started putting a greater emphasis on exercise and 76 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 1: physical fitness. For example, the y in Boston installed the 77 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 1: country's first indoor swimming pools. Other chapters in Massachusetts were 78 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:28,320 Speaker 1: even more pioneering, eventually leading to the creation of two 79 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:32,840 Speaker 1: brand new sports at the Y in Springfield, an instructor 80 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 1: named James Naysmith invented the game of basketball in eighteen 81 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:39,800 Speaker 1: ninety one as a new way to keep his students 82 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:44,160 Speaker 1: active during the frigid New England winters. The game quickly 83 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 1: caught on and was taught at y m c A's 84 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 1: throughout the state. However, four years later, at the y 85 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 1: m c A in Holyoke, a gym teacher named William 86 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 1: Morgan noticed a problem with the game. Over the years, 87 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:03,279 Speaker 1: the organization had relaxed its age restrictions, meaning that men 88 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:06,280 Speaker 1: of any age could now make use of its facilities. 89 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 1: Morgan realized that basketball was too strenuous for the older men, 90 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:15,600 Speaker 1: so he developed a new, less demanding, indoor sport for 91 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:19,800 Speaker 1: them to play. He called the game mintont as a 92 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:24,360 Speaker 1: play on badminton, but we know it better today as volleyball. 93 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:29,440 Speaker 1: In eighteen fifty five, four years after Thomas Sullivan launched 94 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:32,640 Speaker 1: the first y m c A in America, a meeting 95 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:37,400 Speaker 1: was held in Paris. Delegates from ninety nine chapters gathered 96 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:40,479 Speaker 1: and agreed to form the World Alliance of y m 97 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 1: c a s. Today, the organization exists in more than 98 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:48,400 Speaker 1: a hundred and twenty countries, with about twenty five hundred 99 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 1: individual branches just in the United States. The nonprofit has 100 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:57,040 Speaker 1: certainly grown in scope, but it remains every bit as 101 00:06:57,080 --> 00:07:01,039 Speaker 1: committed to improving the physical, mental, and ritual health of 102 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 1: men of all ages and from all walks of life. Lastly, 103 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 1: I have to acknowledge the elephant in the room, which is, 104 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:11,440 Speaker 1: of course, the y m c A song that you've 105 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 1: probably been humming since you saw this episode's title. The 106 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 1: disco song y m c A was released by The 107 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 1: Village People in eight It was one of the biggest 108 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 1: hits of the decade and remains popular today, especially at 109 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 1: sporting events where crowds are still fond of spelling out 110 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 1: the letters with their arms. At first glance, the song 111 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:43,920 Speaker 1: seems like an ideal anthem for the organization, extolling its 112 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 1: virtues and all the fun activities it offers. However, the 113 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: actual y m c A didn't see it that way. 114 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 1: In nineteen seventy nine, they filed a lawsuit against the 115 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:58,640 Speaker 1: band for copyright infringement, though they later dropped the case. 116 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 1: At that point, the song was just too popular to silence, 117 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:08,960 Speaker 1: much to the relief of macho men worldwide. I'm Gabe 118 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:12,240 Speaker 1: Louisier and hopefully you now know a little more about 119 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:16,000 Speaker 1: history today than you did yesterday. If you'd like to 120 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: keep up with the show, you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, 121 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 1: and Instagram at t d I HC Show, and if 122 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 1: you have any comments or suggestions, you can always send 123 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 1: them my way at this Day at I heart media 124 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 1: dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mace for producing the show, 125 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:36,719 Speaker 1: and thank you for listening. I'll see you back here 126 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:50,000 Speaker 1: again tomorrow for another Day in History class. For more 127 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 1: podcasts from my Heart Radio, vis the i Heart Radio app, 128 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.