Chicago's Fair Pros And Cons

Chicago World’s Fair: Two Sides of the Same Coin Chicago won the right to host the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, a monumental moment that would leave an impact on America. The mastermind architect behind it, Daniel Burnham, created an event so magnificent that it captured the essence of America itself and heightened its sense of purpose in the world at the time. The competitive atmosphere surrounding it was one of the major factors that influenced the exposition, leaving it as a legacy to be remembered by all who witnessed it. Advanced architectural achievements, increased patriotism, and prevalent racist attitudes were some effects of competition that molded the fair to be both a representation of American values and core beliefs

Compared to former World's Fairs, Chicago’s showed how competition was a main driving force to produce a unique World’s Fair that would surpass all past ones. Technological advancements such as electricity became regarded as “the harbinger of a new age of American progress”, therefore displaying the fair as a guide to the modern age (Rose, 3). Considered and repeatedly referred to as the “Black City”, Chicago strived to take advantage of this rare opportunity gifted to them to change the perspectives of many people who doubted its ability and social status. It was not only a fight to raise Chicago above all other cities, but also to propel the country to the recognition it desired. Primarily, “the United States wanted to illustrate its superiority through a magnificent display of its scientific and technological prowess”, therefore seeing the fair as the key to achieving honor, enhancing their power and prestige, and claiming the title as the leading superpower (Ho, 3). This drive for fame and glory stemmed from competitiveness

The Panic of 1893 occurred and devastated banks and businesses across the country, which wrecked the economy. The fair “gave Chicago a light to hold against the gathering dark of economic calamity”, and allowed for citizens to escape the burden and the harsh life of economic recession (Larson, 288). The time period in which it was built was regarded as the Gilded Age, a term coined by Mark Twain who stated how it was a glamorized appearance on the surface, but underneath lay corruption and poverty among the working class (Ho, 4). The exposition was “gilded” itself, as it masked the dangers and stress forced upon the shoulders of workers, while it was highly praised compared to former expositions. Besides working conditions, racial issues were a more common controversy. An example of this was located in the center of entertainment: The Midway Plaisance. It contained an assortment of different indigenous peoples from around the world all placed together to be gaped at, which “reflected and reinforced the attitude of a United States that had empire-building ambitions abroad” (Hsu, 6). By demoralizing foreign people to merely sources of entertainment to the American masses, the fair highlighted the stereotypes still rampant in society against ethnic groups. These views contributed to deepening the wound America had