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Class Date: July 23
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Meet Me At The Fair
Meet Me At The Fair
This week we are looking at the Chicago World’s Fair. This Exposition was the highlight of the decade for Chicago and spurned all sorts of new development. But before we do that, let’s look see what else was going on:
April 14, 1865 - President Lincoln is assassinated
While attending a play at Ford’s Theater, President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth.
To watch a 5 minute overview of the event and its aftermath, click here:
November 10, 1871 - “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”
Many American readers of The New York Herald anxiously followed the exploits of Scottish missionary and explorer David Livingstone. His expeditions into Africa had brought back much information about the continent. But after he returned to Africa in 1866, several years passed with no word from Livingstone. The Herald’s editor and publisher James Gordon Bennett realized what a boost it would be to circulation to find the explorer, so he sent his new young reporter, Henry Morton Stanley, to find him.
To read about Henry Morton Stanley’s life, which is fascinating all by itself, click here: https://www.thoughtco.com/henry-morton-stanley-1773821
To read about how Stanley found Dr. Livingstone and uttered those now famous words, click here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/stanley-meets-livingstone-91118102/
March 1, 1872 - Yellowstone Park established
President Ulysses S Grant established the first National Park, beginning a tradition of protecting lands for their beauty and cultural importance. To read a great article about “The Lost History of Yellowstone”, click here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/lost-history-yellowstone-180976518/
1881 - Edward Park Duplex elected mayor of Wheatland, CA
Edward Park Duplex is one of the first Black mayors of a predominately white town in the United States and the first Black mayor of a town west of the Mississippi. Duplex was born in Connecticut but headed West to try his luck, possibly seeking gold. He opened a barbershop on Main Street in Wheatland and became a bedrock of the community. His fellow community members voted him to the local board of trustees and then elected him as their mayor.
1883 - The Brooklyn Bridge opens
Officially opening on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was a marvel of the day. Sightseers rushed to the bridge to stroll hundreds of feet above the East River and take in the views of New York from the highest vantage point at the time. But less than a week after the bridge opening, tragedy struck in the form of a panicked stampede that ultimately killed 12 people and injured hundreds more. To read about the disaster, click here: https://www.thoughtco.com/brooklyn-bridge-disaster-1773696
April 1896 - Athens hosts the first modern Olympic Games
The Olympics had been held in Ancient Greece for many years, but largely died out until a French nobleman named Pierre de Coubertin decided to institute an education program that embraced the ancient Greek idea of balanced mind and body development. He convinced 13 countries to take part in the first modern games in Athens. The games featured –cycling, fencing, gymnastics, lawn tennis, shooting, swimming, track & field, weightlifting, and wrestling. The first Olympic games featured only men, but by the second games in 1900, women’s sports were included.
December 29, 1890 - Wounded Knee Massacre
Despite the Ft. Laramie Treaty years before that promised peace between Native Nations and the United States, the U.S. Calvary fired on scores of gathered Lakota people at Wounded Knee. The massacre effectively ended organized resistance to U.S. encroachment on Native Lands and showed other Native Nations that treaties with the United States were not reliable.
For a 3 minute overview of the massacre, watch a video here.
March 5, 1891 - Carnegie Hall Opens
As New York began to rise as an international capital for industrialization and culture, Carnegie Hall opened its doors to become a stalwart of the stage. For a wonderful overview and pictures of this iconic space, scroll through a Google guide here: https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/the-birth-of-carnegie-hall-carnegie-hall/xwLSGVw2XO2JKQ?hl=en
1892 - Gladys Louise Smith, later to be known as Mary Pickford, is born
Known as ‘America’s Sweetheart’, Mary Pickford became a star in silent films. She established the film company United Artists and helped create the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
That is where our timeline leaves us for this week! Check below for additional reading resources and tune in this week to hear about the wonder of the World’s Fair!
Recommended Reading
Recommended Reading
To read more about this period, here are some great books to get you started:
For Kids:
We Built This City: Chicago: History, People, Landmarks - the World's Fair, Wrigley Field, Frank Lloyd Wright for Kids Ages 8-12 by Tamra B. Orr
Inside this narrative non-fiction book for kids, children ages 8 and up will discover the history of Chi-town, the Second City, the City of the Big Shoulders: Chicago, Illinois!
Young readers will learn the history of the land before Chicago was settled by German immigrants, the indigenous Winnebago people, the World's Fair, the Great Chicago Fire, the Chicago River, and its more than 600 parks.
Chicago is a thriving center for innovation and learning, home to world-class universities, a dynamic arts scene, and hundreds of unique cultural celebrations. With its soaring skyscrapers, vibrant neighborhoods, and a waterfront that rivals coastal cities, Chicago offers a unique blend of culture, architecture, and culinary delights. Inside these pages, kids will discover this city's diverse communities, iconic landmarks, and the rich tapestry of its history.
Learn about things to do when you travel to Chicago, from the sights at Shedd Aquarium and Willis Tower to catching a Cubs game at Wrigley Field and snapping a picture in front of Chicago's Bean! Explore the Heurtley House, the Rookery Building, and other famous works from one of the greatest architects of the 20th century: Frank Llloyd Wright.
This children's history book also features maps of the land and city, both historical photos and current pictures of Chicago, a chronology of events from 1673 to the present day, suggested reading for further research, and a helpful glossary and index.
Kids will be fascinated while learning all about the town affectionately known as The Windy City, with We Built This City: Chicago!
Meet Samantha (American Girl: Samantha, 1904) by Susan Adler
Samantha Parkington is an orphan who lives with her rich grandmother in 1904. There are many servants in Grandmary's busy, bustling household, but there is no one for Samantha to play with. That's why she's so excited when Nellie moves in next door. Nellie has come to work so that she can send money back to her family in the city. Even though their lives are different, the two girls become good friends. One day Samantha discovers that Jessie, the seamstress, is leaving. No one will tell her why. So she and Nellie plan a secret midnight adventure to find out. A fun, fictional read about life at the turn of the century!
For Adults:
The World’s Columbian Exposition: The Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 by Norman Bolotin and Christine Laing
A visual tour of the glittering city built in Chicago for the World’s Exposition. Hailed as a wonderful companion to other books about the fair, this provides a stunning look at the Fair and all that made it a grand symbol of Chicago’s rebirth after the Great Fire and how it made its entrance onto the world stage.
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson
This New York Times Bestseller was my favorite read in all of grad school! A true tale of the Fair and a cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their deaths. The book weaves together the stories of Henry H. Holmes, a depraved serial killer, and Daniel Hudson Burnham, the fair’s director of works and builder of many American iconic structures, including the Flatiron Building in New York and Union Station in Washington, DC.
You can read it online here: https://img.4plebs.org/boards/tg/image/1460/01/1460014686260.pdf
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