The Devil In The White City By Erik Larson

The Chicago World’s Fair, also known as the World’s Columbian Exposition, was a world renowned fair hosted by the city of Chicago in 1893. The fair was hosted to glorify the legacy of explorer Christopher Columbus, as the world celebrated the four hundredth anniversary of his discovery of the New World. The events leading up to and during the fair are showcased in precise detail in Erik Larson’s bestseller The Devil in the White City, a nonfiction book written about the World’s Columbian Exposition. Early in the book, the idea to host a fair for Columbus is mentioned. “It had seemed to rise in many minds at once, the initial intent simply to celebrate the four hundredth anniversary of Columbus’s discovery of the New World by hosting a world’s

Thinking logically, the fair would open up jobs to thousands of people. It brought many tourists from not only the country, but from around the globe. This improved the economy. This was also the case in The Devil in the White City with the characters Daniel Burnham and John Root. They were partners in architecture, and they took charge of the exposition’s architecture. Their great work in Chicago brought fame and fortune. Unfortunately, this was not the same for the whole city. Two many people, thousands, even, came to Chicago in search of work at the fair. Many of those aspiring individuals failed in the process. This was an economic disaster. At the time of the fair, America was not in a great place, as it followed the Civil War and reconstruction. According to fee.org, the Civil War put the United States in more than $65 million in debt (Folsom). The United States was in an economic depression, one which the World’s Columbian Exposition certainly did not help. The pricy event did little to boost the economy and ended up costing more money than it would bring in. In addition, the Chemical National Bank, a major financial institution, was closed like many other banks across Illinois and the U.S. Many stocks dropped, and fear of economic collapse set in. While this was a nationwide issue, Chicago was one of the most severely affected cities

In fact, the fair itself was created to boost American pride, according to The Devil in the White City. The book states, “Even Eiffel’s tower, forecast by wishful Americans to be a monstrosity that would disfigure forever the comely landscape of Paris, turned out to possess unexpected èlan, with a sweeping base and tapered shaft that evoked the trail of a skyrocket. This humiliation could not be allowed to stand. America’s pride in growing power and international stature had fanned patriotism to a né intensity. The nation needed an opportunity to ‘out-Eiffel Eiffel.’ Suddenly the idea of hosting a great exposition to commemorate Columbus’s discovery of the New World became irresistible” (Larson 15). The architects in charge of designing the buildings at the fair really pioneered the industrial advancements that took place during the Chicago World’s Fair. Over two-hundred buildings were to be constructed, which helped not only to bring excitement to the fair, but also give a sense of national pride to the American people. Those who were affected include citizens across the country, not only the people of Chicago. This nationalism was very important to the United States after a period of Civil War. This pride in the country encouraged many people to be a part of the