The young men who studied at Yale at the time felt the need to supplement their studies with a working knowledge of contemporary literature and a forum in which to gain “skill in making known [their] own thoughts in good, plain English” .
The literary societies, which first appeared at Yale and soon afterward at many other colleges and universities, were designed to fill this void.
At the end of the Civil War, the Yale College faculty attempted to ban fraternities and sophomore societies.
As a cover for their continued existence, many of these groups took the guise of small debating societies.
Linonia and Brothers in Unity no longer dominated the college's social scene, and the Yale Union became the primary forum for debate.