The year is 1893, and the air is alive with new foods and machines. The World’s Columbian Exposition, commonly known as the Chicago World Fair, saw nearly 27 million guests in its 6-month life. It introduced many new technologies and ideas essential to American life. If I could have been present for any moment in American history, I would choose the Chicago World Fair for its groundbreaking technological advancements and effects on American culture that are still felt today.
Accordingly, the Chicago World Fair saw the introduction of several inventions that eventually revolutionized our ways of living. Some, like the Ferris wheel, are now a staple of amusement parks, while others, like the zipper, are an essential part of our modern clothing.
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They did not yet realize how astronomical the exposition would become and what all it represented. The fair’s significance lies mainly in its use of electricity. Electricity was used to light the fair from the inside out, day and night, with the then-novel concept of electrical lighting. While it was not the first use of electric lighting, it was among the first events readily available to the public. It was an incredible feat of science that showed the entire world the potential of electricity.
To me, the Chicago World Fair represents the birth of a new era of discovery and limitless possibilities. It changed everything from how our architecture looked to how we viewed the American people. People’s perspectives of the world around them changed, and it rewrote what we believed was possible.
Today, the effects are seen in our everyday lives. Banks and public buildings mimic the Neoclassical style of the Chicago World Fair and electricity runs through the walls of every building. But over a hundred years later, we take these inventions for granted. If I had been present during the World’s Columbian Exposition, I would have been rightfully amazed by all of the creations