Historical Insights in Devil in the White City Essay example

Historical Insights in Devil in the White City Write an essay discussing the historical insights presented in Erik Larson’s Devil in the White City, being sure to answer the following questions: In what ways does the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 represent the contrasts and conflicts of the Gilded Age? What is the Fair’s lasting imprint on American society culture, what new trends does it signal for the twentieth century? 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†¦show more content†¦The fair was a marvel of construction, planning and architecture for the day. Never had anything on that scale, in the time frame that was given, been attempted. In around 2 years, the builders terraformed a piece of blasted wasteland into the finished product. They built massive buildings on ground that was basically quicksand before they started. Olmstead landscaped the whole site, with construction going on, in a period of months. The construction effort suffered many setbacks and disasters, with the wind and rain destroying many buildings as they were being built. They built the fair in these trying conditions, with labor probl ems, it was a miracle. The Fair, with its mix of East and West and everything in between, became a microcosm of the country that was building it. In it, you see all the conflicts that were going on in the country at the time. Probably the most obvious is the labor that built the fair. At this point in history, the working class of the country, and indeed the world, were slowly, but unstoppably moving toward unionization, fairer working conditions and change that is very much the same as the working class of today. You also saw the unchecked, without government regulated capitalism, and the very strong personalities of the men who ran the fair. In my opinion, it was the personalities of the leaders of the fair, as much as anything, that resulted in its amazing pace and scale of construction being pulled off. Burnham is aShow MoreRelatedDevil in a Blue Dress Rhetorical Analysis Novel vs. Film Essay2428 Words   |  10 PagesDevil in a Blue Dress: Novel vs. Film The hardboiled mystery novel, Devil in a Blue Dress, by Walter Mosley was first published in 1990 and was acknowledged by former U.S. President, Bill Clinton, as one of his many favorite novelists (Easy Writer). Taking place in post-war Los Angeles, the story is narrated by an African American laborer, Easy Rawlins, who is transformed into an L.A. detective after being pulled in to the affairs of local townspeople. 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What is the Fairs lasting imprint on American society culture, what new trends does it signal for the twentieth century? Although the Chicago Worlds fair of 1893 only lasted 6 months, I had an enormous impact on the city of Chicago, its peopleRead MoreThe Life Of Malcolm X2292 Words   |  10 Pagesthis month, spanned a trajectory from oppression and victimization to inchoate rebellion and revolutionary autonomy. His was a voyage from resistance to an informed radicalism. It was a journey from which he ultimately gathered political and historical insight which, combined with his tools of persuasion and skills at leadership, made him at the time of his death arguably the most dangerous figure in this country’s history to confront its ruling class. For us, forty years later, Malcolm’s life isRead MoreAnalysis Of Othello s Othello By William Shakespeare Essay2117 Words   |  9 Pagesmost part, unnoticed in society. 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