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Summary Of Amusing The Million By John Kasson

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The Book “Amusing The Million”, written by John F. Kasson describes how the amusement parks in Coney Island changed the attitude towards new cultures in the United States. Kasson talks about the era of famous amusement parks which began in 1895 before the first world war. These amusement parks were an effort to bring together the different cultures seen in the urban cities. Coney Island was a cultural accommodation for all the people who desired adventure and excitement. These places of recreation were built not only to amuse people but also inspire people to respect different cultures, (pg.11). To prove his point Kasson compares two major projects which were built by two different people, who had different views on philosophy and form but …show more content…

In the 19th century we have seen the rise of the industrial revolution, this led to the construction of urban cities and urban life. Many immigrants were seen migrating to the United States in search of jobs opportunities and a better life. Most of the immigrants were Europeans. All the people working together in industries were of different cultures and were supposed to live in the same urban communities. Kasson writes that, they would not talk to each other and a sense of racial tension could be seen in the urban cities. Frederick Law Olmsted, an environmental designer noticed this “Every day of their lives they have seen thousands of their fellowmen, have met them face to face, have brushed against them, and yet have no experience of anything in common with them.”, (pg.12), this character of urban society troubled other genteel reformers and thought of construction of parks as recreation in urban life. Olmsted built the first park in United States in New York known as “Central Park” in 1858 with Calvert Vaux. The other major park during this period was Chicago’s Columbian Exposition built by Daniel H. Burnham in 1893. These parks, are compared by the author to prove, that the remedies offered by the parks were different, but the purpose of building them was the same. Central Park was to escape the urban setting whereas Columbian Exposition was to enhance the urban

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