During the second half of the nineteenth century, the lyceum movement in the United States began to evolve from its origins as a platform for education and self-improvement to a vehicle for public entertainment. In the movement's early stages, scientific lectures and debates, designed to ‘educate and agitate’, were the predominant subjects of lyceum programmes, but these gradually diminished as the American public clamoured for more entertaining pursuits.

There was no international copyright law to restrain the publication of popular fiction. American publishers habitually pirated the works of British authors, making them readily available to their readers. Thus the American public was well acquainted with the works of such popular writers as Dickens, Thackeray and Wilkie Collins and provided a ready audience for well-known authors who came to America.

In addition, improvements in transportation from the 1840s onwards enabled easier and more comfortable travel. Trans-Atlantic steamships made the trip to the United States feasible, and the expansion of the North American rail-road system allowed for the possibility of one-night performances.

In 1842, Charles Dickens made his first journey to the United States, receiving a hero's welcome. He dined with President John Tyler, attended sessions of Congress and was fêted everywhere he went. In spite of his open denigration of American customs and manners, and his criticism of international copyright issues, American readers flocked to see the charismatic author of the books they loved. They were not disappointed. Dickens's appeal led one reviewer to declare,

After Dickens's first visit to the United States, Thackeray made his own journey. Thackeray saw that there was money to be made and determined that a lecture tour in America could provide an opportunity for financial security for his two daughters.