The Chicago World Fair of 1893 was a very important event in American history and culture. The effects of the fair would last even till today. It influenced the American people to reevaluate their own cities. The fair also contributed to the pride of the American people not to mention those in Chicago. Daniel Burnham along with his partner John Root, whom later dies, is given the responsibility of constructing the Chicago World Fair. John Root is actually the architectural genius between the pair and dies before construction barely gets underway. Burnham is motivated by his pride and determination in order to actually get the job done.
During the Gilded Age America was growing as a super power in the world and was full of pride because of
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One being the Ferris wheel, invented by George Ferris, that was created specifically for the air to outdo the Eiffel Tower. Electricity became more relevant after Thomas Edison was beat out by Nikola Tesla on the bid to provide electricity for the World Fair. His lights contributed to the idea of “The White City”. Walt Disney’s father was inspired which helped to the creation of Disney World. It also lead to the pledge of allegiance coming into existence. The pledge of allegiance was created for the Fair’s dedication day. The pledge is so nationally known and is a symbol of loyalty. Also notably are that many cities wanted glorious buildings to call their own which lead to many great architectural buildings. And many cities asked Burnham to create citywide plans for their individual cities. Many other things were introduced at the fair such as spray paint, zippers, electric dishwashers, and shredded wheat all first appeared at the Chicago World Fair. The Fair also contributed to the City beautify movement since they were striving to be refined like New York from the beginning.
All in all, not only the fair but the notorious first American serial killer, H.H. Holmes had lasting effects on Americans and American culture. These were very important for the growth of America as a whole, leaving the feeling of pride and wanting to grow traveling throughout the country. Not only in technological advances but also
In the book, “The Devil in the White City,” Erik Larson tells the story of two formidable men and their activities during Chicago’s World Fair of 1893. Daniel Burnham is an architect and the fair’s brilliant director. The book takes the reader through the tremendous obstacles and tragedies that Burnham faces in an attempt to create a fair that will give America its fame. However, H.H Holmes is a young doctor, who uses the attraction of the great fair and his charms to lure dozens of young women to their inevitable and tragic deaths. Not only did Chicago’s World Fair of 1893 showcase Daniel Burnham’s success as an able director and H.H. Holmes cunning nature, it changed America as a whole, introduced some lasting inventions, and influenced many historical figures of both that time and our current time period.
From first impression, Burnham found that Chicago had a murky factorial image lined with a “fantastic stink that lingered in the vicinity of Union Stock yards” (41). The dreadful surface that Chicago was maintaining allowed Burnham to be determined to collaborate and recreate its image. His efforts would also make a reputational comeback for America’s poor representation in the Exposition Universelle (15). One major feature that transformed public opinion of the state was to illuminate the entire fair with clean white buildings that outlined the goodness of the area (252). Eye-catching whiteness contradicted the presumed dirtiness of the town. Making a contradiction from what was assumed of the city would allow the fair to generate a much bigger transformation. The lights also gave the fair a unique, whimsical edge. “The lamps that laced every building and walkway produced the most elaborate demonstration of electric illumination ever attempted”, incorporating new technology in a grand-scale way merely to keep the theme of brightness ongoing throughout each day and night (254). Most importantly, it displayed the town’s potential to become a thriving and respected city. The theme of whiteness interlaced with the neoclassical outline in The World Fair’s de...
One half of the story was of a man named Daniel Burnham, who was a famous architect of his time. It’s in this half of the story that can you see the good part of the city. Pride can be seen mainly throughout his story. His life in these pages was based on the construction of the World Columbian Exposition which was a fair held in Chicago in 1893. This magnificent fair was in honor of one of America’s most well known discoverers, Christopher C. Columbus. This was the 400th anniversary of his discovery of the new world. Through Burnham’s pride and his determination, he was able to complete the fair in almost a year. However, it was not truly ready for opening day due to a few construction issues, such as the world’s f...
...c organization in his dual role as mayor and party chairman. He cultivated alliances with organized labor and industry that contributed to Chicago's renaissance at a time when other northern industrial cities were declining. He helped build the world's largest airport and tallest office building, a lakefront convention center, a governmental complex that would later bear his name, a Chicago campus for the state university, expressways, and mass transit lines. He is known by many as the best mayor Chicago may ever have.
Chicago wins the bid for the 1893 World's Exposition or as some call it the World Fair. Author Larson includes two different plots. One of the plot lines is about an architect, named Daniel
Erik Larson’s book Devil in the White City is full of magic and madness that has shaped the society of the late 19th century that is specific to in Chicago. The issues that have been handled through this time frame that are addressed in this book is that how Chicago was known to be the black city at first, and how the city hoped that hosting the World’s fair would increase their reputation. Secondly, the magic of a man named Daniel Burnham that did put the plans of the world fair in Chicago into life and the obstacles that he had overcame. Next, once the world fair was complete, it has made Chicago “The White city,” by its dazzling designs and attractions that made it memorable. Then, the madness of H.H. Holmes and how his evil deeds has seemed to undermine the world fair and the things that are going on within it with his murders and treachery that does grip Chicago once his evil deeds have been found out. Finally, the events that happened in the world fair that relate to the issues that occur in the late ninetieth century within the United States. The city of Chicago was in a desolate condition before it hosted the World Fair.
The late 19th century and early 20th century, dubbed the Gilded Age by writer Mark Twain, was a time of great growth and change in every aspect of the United States, and even more so for big business. It was this age that gave birth to many of the important modern business practices we take for granted today, and those in charge of business at the time were considered revolutionaries, whether it was for the good of the people or the good of themselves.
The Exposition held in Paris a few years prior unveiled the Eiffel Tower, possibly the most remarkable landmark of the time. In order to prove itself, America had to create a fair that would at least equal this engineering marvel. The first of the two men was Daniel Burnham, a gifted architect and the Fair's chief builder and organizer. He represents the American idealism that you can achieve the impossible, as was done at the Fair. The "White City" as the exposition became known as ...
At this time the United States was constructing massive amounts of railroad track that eventually grew to connect the entire country. The World’s Fair acted as a jumping off point for the creation of the railroad in some respects. For example, the powerful 999 steam train was presented at the World’s Fair. This train made fast train travel more accessible and ushered in the age of the locomotive. The quadricycle was another important invention that was present at the fair. The quadricycle was an extremely early iteration of an automobile. The quadricycle itself was not necessarily a huge step in history, but it was seen by the man who would go on to create the greatest advancement in automobile technology 20 years after the fair, Henry Ford. Henry Ford, of Ford Automobile fame, was inspired to create his revolutionary automobile design by the quadricycle. The quadricycle gave Ford an idea that changed the world, without the quadricycle Ford may not have gone into the auto industry and produced the first widely used automobiles. The quadricycle is indirectly responsible for one of the single most important inventions ever, the world would have been very different had the quadricycle not existed. The World’s Fair acted as a breeding ground for new ideas and inventions that went
On July 14, 1853, the Great Exhibition of Art and Industry began in New York City, New York, with the commemoration of the Crystal Palace, the central exhibition hall. The next day, President Franklin Pierce inaugurated the event with a grand ceremony. Secretary of War Jefferson Davis was also on hand. Modeled on the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, which had opened a few years earlier for the Exhibition of the Products of the Art and Industry of All Nations, New York's Crystal Palace was larger than its predecessor, and it inspired everyone who saw it. This exhibition included a display of sculpture that was probably the largest ever held in the United States up to that time. There was also a separate gallery for the display of paintings. It was the first world's fair to include a separate picture gallery as part of its exhibits.
The story of Daniel Burnham, his building of the fair, and the struggles he overcomes in order to make the enterprise a success form one plot line. In 1890, Chicago is growing rapidly and is eager to prove itself to the more established Eastern cities of the United States. This sequence of events begins in 1890, when Chicago wins the bid for the 1893 World's Exposition. Daniel Burnham and his then partner, John Root, are given the honor of being the architects who build the fair and consequently, a more positive global reputation for Chicago. John Root is the partner of Daniel Burnham; he accepts the challenge of building the 1893 Chicago World's Fair along with Burnham. Root is the perfect partner and complement to Burnham. While Burnham has the business savvy and people skills, Root is truly the architectural genius behind the duo. Root's intelligence and depth are something that people, including
In the words of Thomas Jefferson, “A wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government, and this is necessary to close the circlue of our felicities.” (Jefferson, 1801) This idea echoed far beyond it’s time and into the minds and hearts of the Populist’s, and became the center and the driving force of the Progressive era. During the gilded age railroads were being built, Industrialization was rising, the population of United States was increasing dramatically; and corporate businesses were becoming extremely powerful. The gilded age was known for its corruption and business domination, it wasn’t until the Populist movement when people started to fight back and also not until the Progressive movement when people started changing the government system.
Findling, John E., Historical Dictionary of World's Fairs and Expositions, 1851-1988 New York: Greenwood Press, 1990
Chicago’s World Fair, or otherwise known as the World’s Columbian Exposition opened in the year 1893. The Exposition was to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ voyage to America. Not only was it a commemoration, but it was also an attempt to outshine the Exposition Universelle in France that occurred in 1889, with it’s impressive building structure at the time, which was the Eiffel Tower. American pride needed to be redeemed and the Exposition would be proof in showing the world that America was a superior nation. To determine to what extent the fair was indeed a great influence in American society, it is essential to analyze the cultural, industrial, and technological effects that occurred. To start with, the fair influenced greatly
The fair had great expectations to rise to the same influence as the Paris Exposition. A main goal of architects and those participating in the fair was to surpass the Eiffel Tower’s prominence from the Paris Exposition. (Di Cola, Stone 8-11) Instead of trying to make every aspect of the fair great, many of the architects focused on making things that could compete with the Europeans’ inventions and architecture. For example, the director of the fair’s architecture, Daniel Burnham, “desired that Chicago would have a waterfront that would rival European cities…” (Wolski 2009) Americans have always competed with Europe. Although there were many activities, the head attraction was the Ferris wheel. Although the Ferris wheel was not an invention that improved everyday life, it brought happiness to some and entertained others. It also puzzled some, but peoples’ emotions exhibited the profound effect of the new inventions. The Ferris wheel was a product of the changing culture. The Columbian Exposition showed America that technology did not only need to be for practical uses. Skyscrapers were the “Eiffel Tower” of the Chicago Exposition. They showed the groundbreaking technology of America and the great metalworking of Chicago. As shown in The Devil in the White City, H.H. Holmes’ built a hotel that he used as his torture chamber for his victims. The hotel does not exist anymore, but its