How Did The Chicago World Fair Exemplifies The Gilded Age In America?

In 1893, America opened its Columbian Exposition in Chicago, celebrating the 400th anniversary of Columbus discovering America, even though it was a year late. The exposition, also called the Chicago World Fair, was large, consisting of many buildings and displays from other countries of the world. This was a time to show the kind of advancements and technologies that had come about during this time. At the time of the fair opening, the United States was going through what was called the Gilded Age. From 1870 to the early 1900s the nation transitioned from being primarily agricultural to being an industrial nation focussed on manufacturing. At this time there was an immense gap between the rich and the poor. The rich lived lavish lifestyles and were able to spend on/attend things like the fair. The Chicago World Fair exemplifies the Gilded Age in America in multiple ways.

The buildings were made of wood, plaster, staff, and painted to look like beautiful stone. This is a perfect symbol of the Gilded age because much like the buildings at the World Fair, the US looked like it was progressing and doing extraordinarily from the outside when in reality, the US was going through economic panics, didn’t stand for laborer’s rights, and was a country that still supported discrimination and segregation. The nation’s huge concern was money. Factories continued to open, being built quickly without safety or quality in mind.(Much like the buildings from the World’s Columbian Exposition that were built in only two years.) Towns and cities sprouted near factories because people needed jobs. At this time the nation was no longer primarily agricultural, it was now one of the top industrial powers of the world, but at the worker's cost of