How The Technological And Cultural Impact Of The World Columbian Exposition?

The 1893 Chicago, Illinois World’s Fair, also known as the Columbian Exposition, was an extended celebration in memory of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s discovery of America. The World’s Fair was a major milestone in  history because it gave insight to what Americans could  accomplish in the future, when pushed to their full extent. It came with many firsts, allowing Americans to take part in, and experience things that were, at the time, unheard of to humans. It greatly accelerated the urbanization of America. Although at the time it was just a celebration, the six-month sensation had a far greater significance. The influence it had on American society in the coming years had been far greater than anyone could have imagined, as well as the role it played in the American Gilded Age, and the debatable topic it devised, concerning whether the World’s Fair was viewed as a “white city,” “black city,” or both. The World’s Fair changed American society in more ways than not. For instance, everyone doubted them. They did not think that Americans had what it took to successfully construct and manage the fair, let alone outdo the Eiffel Tower, (built for the 1889 Paris Exposition) but in constructing the Ferris Wheel, they accomplished just that. This widely changed the perception of Chicago, and America as well. The World’s Fair had transformed Chicago from a nothing town, to one of the main points of interest in America. The fair’s sanitary conditions set an

A World’s Fair is an “[I]nternational exposition that features exhibits dealing with commerce, industry, and science.” (World Book Encyclopedia 412) Entertainment is also present along with cultural activities. In 1893, the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, although inaugurated a year late, commemorated the discovery of America. I feel that the Exposition displayed some of the more beautiful architecture of its time; its immense buildings and sculptures drew heavily from Greek and other classical styles, and it could possible be because of the sweeping popularity in Beaux Arts architecture.

The attachment “Murder, magic, and madness at the fair that changed america” to the title hardly does the novel justice. Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City, a nonfiction novel that surrounds the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, also known as The World’s Columbian Exposition. The novel follows the lives of two real men, Daniel Burnham, the architect who builds the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and H.H. Holmes, the serial killer who exploits the fair to find his victims. Many new inventions were introduced at the fair, such as Juicy Fruit gum, the Ferris Wheel, and many other novel ideas that impacted the lives of many people for generations. The beautiful fair Burnham creates provides the perfect distraction and lure for Holmes’ activities. In his novel The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson suggests that good and evil coexist in the world by using charged language, imagery and juxtaposition to show although people view the fair as a perfect dreamland immune to evil, it still lurks outside in the dark, influencing the rest of the world.

The 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, more formally known as the Columbian Exposition, was a fair constructed to celebrate Columbus’ arrival in the New World. Chicago was known as the White City, but did not appear as pure and spotless as its name suggested. For instance, there were many ways one could get killed. “Fire took a dozen lives a day...There was diphtheria, typhus, cholera, influenza. And there was murder.” (Larson 12). These unstoppable causes of death was one of the reasons Chicago’s reputation was tarnished. Furthermore, the Panic of 1893 struck and greatly affected the city of Chicago. The Panic’s effects included “financial crises”, “bankruptcy”, and “high rates of unemployment and homelessness”. (Panic of 1893). Because of the city’s economic depression, the fair would decide whether Chicago’s circumstances would improve or deteriorate. Eventually, the 1893 Chicago’s World Fair displayed what America would soon become in an industrial, military, and economic perspective.

This novel describes the years surrounding the building of the 1893 Chicago World 's Fair, also known as The World 's Columbian Exposition, which was designed to commemorate the landing of Columbus in America.

2. "Too many features of the fair remained unfinished, Burnham acknowledged. He and his brigade of architects, draftsmen, engineers, and contractors had accomplished so much in an impossibly short time, but apparently not enough to overcome the damping effect of the fast-degrading economy." (Page 240). The fair had a set opening day but somehow everything was still not completely finished. It was a huge feat and even what they did accomplish was amazing, but it doesn’t make sense to open to an unfinished fair. The poor economy certainly doesn't help matters, but people wouldn’t necessarily want to spend money at a

As the cost of transportation decreased, the opportunity for industrialization grew. The North began industrialization first by processing raw materials, but soon the north industrial factory adopted the “disassembly line.” This “disassembly line” would transform how factory work evolved forever, because with this more efficient way of working, “competition from cheaper less-skilled workers… created job insecurity and few opportunities for advancement.” (Norton, et. al., Mindtap, 10-3a) American factories soon developed the American System of manufacturing which “used machinery to produce interchangeable parts.” (Norton, et. al., Mindtap, 10-3a) This system promoted the

The Chicago World’s Fair occurred in 1893 to commemorate American history, specifically the landing of Christopher Columbus. This event had such a mass popularity that a book was written to commemorate the fair itself; it was titled, The Devil In The White City by Erik Larson. The portrayal of history in this novel is quite accurate when expressing the time period of the late nineteenth century in an elevated format, which allows the reader to draw comparisons of how the time mirrors the present, as well as differences in the ways it contrasts modern living, and most importantly allows a grasp of a total picture of the time period itself.

The Columbian World’s Exposition of 1893 marked an important time in American history. The overall fame of the World’s Columbian Exposition, or also known as the Chicago World’s Fair, is in large part due to the spread of ideas and inventions that originated at the fair itself. The novel, The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, depicts a clear portrait of the fair’s impact in the time leading up to, during, and after the exposition. The fair established itself as a metaphorical historical monument, in the way that it honored the past and served as a memorial to Columbus, and the way that it impacted future societies and events. The fair began as a show of superiority on part of American society, over all other countries, like France or England. Regarding competition, the fair sought to “Out-Eiffel” Gustave Eiffel, architect of the Eiffel Tower, for architecture, and to outclass the rest of the world in all other fields. The fair also served to foreshadow the growing powers of America both intellectually and militarily; the spirit and ideas shown at the fair showed the emergence of intellectual superiority that would only serve as a sample of the achievements of society that were yet to come. The intellectual productions of the fair can be attributed to the architectural firm coordinating the event, Burnham and Root. The firm was headed by Daniel Burnham and John Root, both accredited as the brightest in their field. Under their management, the Chicago World’s Fair

The main focal point of Erik Larson’s Devil in the White City is centered around the excitement, murders, and magic of the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893. In 1890, Chicago was becoming a very populated and anxious city of America. The city itself wanted something to prove to the more traditional eastern cities of the United States. Driven by its massive civic pride, Chicago joined in the election against New York, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. to be considered where the placement of the next World’s Fair would be located. Paris, France hosted the previous World’s Fair and left the world astonished with its architectural achievements with the Eiffel tower. Civic leaders in the opposing cities ultimately agreed to place the Fair in Chicago.

Given the nickname the "White City" because of its elegant and pristine buildings, the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 was one of the most powerful events in American history. There were long lasting impacts on American culture, economy, and technology- the fair brought new advancements in virtually every aspect of daily life. It was held “to commemorate Columbus’s discovery of the New World” (Larson 15). The fair was a symbol of the expertise America possessed, but simultaneously highlighted the hardships that surrounded it. The fair increased wages, marketed more products for public use, and produced architectural feats that challenged the ones that stood at the 1889 Exposition Universelle. There was much more to the fair behind the showstopping displays that it created. Behind the exotic Algerian belly dancers and astonishing replicas of famous cities, the corporate world was establishing its dominance. Labor unions struggled to fight for fair wages and working time. Although disturbances and disagreements in the construction of the fair foreshadowed a negative ending, breakthroughs such as white lead paint and the Ferris Wheel attracted many visitors. The Chicago World's Fair of 1893 is a vivid exhibit of the independent cultural, economical, and technological superpower that America would grow to become in the future.

     Although the Chicago World’s fair of 1893 only lasted 6 months, it had an enormous impact on the city of Chicago, its people, and indeed the entire country. Up until that point in its history, the US had done nothing on the scale of the world’s fair, and was regarded as a country of barbarians and cowboys by

The thought of Chicago hosting the world’s fair would be daunting at first, but it could turn around the reputation of Chicago from one of a city of gloom and darkness, to one of a city of light and progress from the Great Chicago fire of 1871, and that city would be fascinating for years to come. Chicago would get an economic shot in the arm from the revenue that it would get from hosting the 1893 World Fair and it would make Chicago into a great city of America. The event and also the transformation that would happen to the city of Chicago would not have happened if it would not be for one great man who had taken up the challenge to make sure to host this 1893 World fair.

Although the Chicago World's fair of 1893 only lasted 6 months, I had an enormous impact on the city of Chicago, its people, and indeed the entire country. Up until that point in its history, the US had done nothing on the scale of the world's fair, and was regarded as a country of barbarians and cowboys by much of the world, especially Old Europe. The fair

In the book The Devil in The White City by Erik Larson, the city of Chicago is used to show the great failures and successes of the United States. The story takes place a few years before and during the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition (World’s Fair) in Chicago. Larson focuses on the stories of Daniel Burnham, the director at the exposition, and Dr. H.H. Holmes, a serial killer. Daniel Burnham shows how America is a land of opportunity, and even in the face of many hardships succeeds in his goal of having a successful exposition. The Devil in The White City reflects the extremes of character in America because it shows American ingenuity, optimistic naivete, and the complete loss of morality.