Lectures on Tap - "Pullman, the Porters, and the Riots That Shook Chicago"

Welcome to Lectures on Tap

Join us for an engaging evening where professors, experts, and storytellers bring their thought-provoking lectures to your favorite bar in River North, Chicago!

Hosted by the Lectures on Tap team.

📍 Location: Exact address found in the confirmation email

📚 Lecture: “Pullman, the Porters, and the Riots That Shook Chicago”

🎤 Speaker: Dr. John J Murphy

In this lecture, Dr. John J. Murphy takes us back to the south side of Chicago, where one man’s dream of a “model city” became the spark for one of America’s greatest labor uprisings. George Pullman believed he could engineer harmony between labor and capital by building a perfect company town, complete with clean streets, manicured lawns, and moral order. But when the dream soured into exploitation, the workers rebelled, the trains stopped, and the U.S. Army rolled through Chicago’s streets.

Blending history, humor, and a deep love of local lore, this talk examines how one company town became a reflection of America’s enduring struggles over class, race, and the promises of progress.

Dr. John J. Murphy is a historian and educator currently working for Teach for America. He has previously served as a school administrator in Chicago and as a history professor at multiple City Colleges of Chicago.

Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the political art that defined an era with Dr. John J Murphy!

Get a drink, connect, and learn at Lectures on Tap! 🙌

Agenda

6:30 PM – Doors open: find a seat (open seating!), order food & drinks, and expect a bar line—arriving early is key.

6:55 PM – Host introduction

7:00 PM – Lecture begins

7:45 PM – Audience Q&A

8:00 PM – Have 1:1 time with the speaker, mingle with fellow guests, and order another round

8:30 PM – Wrap up.