THEWORLDFAIR

ArchitectureThe World Fair was important in developing some lasting ideas on modern architecture, but also brought about lasting patriotism and enthusiasm for the coming century.

The Ferris WheelThe Ferris Wheel, the first ride of its kind, al-most wasn’t built. After delays in whether the Fair would construct it, it was finished after the Fair had started in June. It cost 50 cents to ride twice, and was created by George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr.

Why it’s important:The Ferris Wheel was an important architec-tural marvel because it showed the true limits (or lack thereof) of Americans in the coming century. Big-ger was better, and this was especially pushed through the brilliant and

innovative architecture in the World Fair. It also was important because it was a crucial indica-tor of the money-led environment Americans would be entering -- you could get in the fair for the same price it took to ride the Ferris Wheel twice around.

The White CityThe White City was an area of the Colum-bian Exposition that consisted of several buildings -- ones like the Administration and Court of Honors- sur-rounded by a lagoon and all in glimmering white cleanliness

Why it’s important:The White City was im-portant because it was considered more ad-vanced than many cities that would emerge even decades after it. It was kept spotless in the idea of a utopian city, being cleaned every night. It was important because

it defined a new fu-ture for the American culture; new cities could be better than the past, and new things like lights and technology could take place of the old ways. It was impor-tant because it repre-sented American’s hope for the future.

MidwayMidway was the truly fun and exciting part of the Fair -- there was a zoo, a German and Japanese village rec-reation, a Eiffel Tower recreation, and much more ( the “hootchy-kootchy” was invented here). It served as some sort of meeting party for all cultures

Why it’s important:Midway was important in embracing the new worldly ideals that some visitors had seen for the first time. While still very racist and reluc-tant of embracing other cultures, the Columbian Exposition was impor-tant in developing the

idea that there was more to America than the 25 miles around the birthplace of each person. While Midway was the “fun spot,” it also was important in showing other cultures, however exaggerated and inaccurate the por-trayals may have been.

In many ways, I agree with the editorial above. By speaking to the Fair, Douglass wishes to speak to the change things just like many of the new and splendid inventions showcased at the Fair already have.

However, in many ways I think Douglass could reach for more in the United States as it is now. Why ask for the United States to accept more black people when it can hardly tolerate the ones it has now? The process of toleration needs to come from those who have been freed and need to be represented as the full and com-plete Americans they are.

By working and taking low jobs, these Americans could take the rights that are given to them in the Constitution through trust and fellowship with their white brother. Instead of trying to pick up Haiti, it is important to deal with race relations with those who have the same tradition in America first.

Here is the plan that you could have included in your plan to adopt such a beautiful country as Haiti into the collection of Ameri-can states. While you ask for a understanding between America and Haiti, you underestimate how much improving internal relations

with current black citizens could do for the Haitians if they ever be-come part of America; if equality is found for one group of blacks, it will certainly be seen for all.

The Fair is one that discrimi-nates against all blacks, some-thing that is more pertinent than any purchasing of a new country. By working to establish trust and workers in the workplace, African Americans will gain more social equality -- although slowly -- than any other system of inundating the weary whites with more Afri-can Americans.

Sincerely,Booker T. Washington

No man should presume to come before an intelligent American audience without a commanding object and an earnest purpose. In whatever else I may be deficient, I hope I am qualified, both in object and purpose, to speak to you this evening.

My subject is Haiti, the Black Republic; the only self-made Black Republic in the world. I am to speak to you of her character, her his-tory, her importance and her struggle from slavery to freedom and to statehood. I am to speak to you of her progress in the line of civili-zation; of her relation with the United States; of her past and present; of her probable destiny; and of the bearing of her example as a free and independent Republic, upon what may be the destiny of the African race in our own country and elsewhere.

{...}There are many reasons why a good un-

derstanding should exist between Haiti and

the United States. Her proximity; her similar government and her large and increasing com-merce with us, should alone make us deeply interested in her welfare, her history, her prog-ress and her possible destiny.

Haiti is a rich country. She has many things which we need and we have many things which she needs. Intercourse between us is easy. Measuring distance by time and improved steam navigation, Haiti will one day be only three days from New York and thirty-six hours from Florida; in fact our next door neighbor. On this account, as well as others equally important, friendly and help-ful relations should subsist between the two countries. Though we have a thousand years of civilization behind us, and Haiti only a century behind her; though we are large and Haiti is small; though we are strong and Haiti is weak; though we are a continent and Haiti is bounded on all sides by the sea, there may come a time when even in the weakness of Haiti there may be strength to the United States.

Now, notwithstanding this plain possibil-ity, it is a remarkable and lamentable fact, that while Haiti is so near us and so capable of being so serviceable to us; while, like us, she is trying to be a sister republic and anxious to have a government of the people, by the people and for the people; while she is one of our very best customers, selling her coffee and her other valuable products to Europe for gold, and send-ing us her gold to buy our flour, our fish, our

oil, our beef and our pork; while she is thus enriching our merchants and our farmers and our country generally, she is the one country to which we turn the cold shoulder.

We charge her with being more friendly to France and to other European countries than ourselves. This charge, if true, has a natural explanation, and the fault is more with us than with Haiti. No man can point to any act of ours to win the respect and friendship of this black republic.

{...}But a deeper reason for coolness between

the countries is this: Haiti is black, and we have not yet forgiven Haiti for being black or forgiven the Almighty for making her black. In this enlightened act of repentance and forgive-ness, our boasted civilization is far behind all other nations. In every other country on the globe a citizen of Haiti is sure of civil treatment. In every other nation his manhood is recog-nized and respected. Wherever any man can go, he can go. He is not repulsed, excluded or insulted because of his color. All places of amusement and instruction are open to him. Vastly different is the case with him when he ventures within the border of the United States. Besides, after Haiti had shaken off the fetters of bondage, and long after her freedom and independence had been recognized by all other civilized nations, we continued to refuse to acknowledge the fact and treated her as outside the sisterhood of nations.

Editorial

LetterEditor

to the

an opinion of

/FREDERICKDOUGLASS

ImportantPeople The World Fair was not a profitable exposition

like many hoped, but some instrumental peo-ple helped make it into something that turned America into a symbol of greatness

Daniel Burnham Daniel Burnham was placed in charge to oversee construction of the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The site decided for the Fair to be held was Jackson Park on the south lakefront. He also designed several fa-mous buildings, includ-

ing the Flatiron Building in New York City and Union Station in Wash-ington D.C. Under Burn-ham’s direction, the construction of the Fair overcame large financial and logistical obstacles, which included a finan-cial panic and a tight timeframe, to open on

time. Much of his career work models the classi-cal style of Greece and Rome, and he also had plans for the future of the city of Chicago. His plans were some of the first strong ideas for the controlled growth of an American city.

Frederick Law OlmstedFrederick Law Olm-sted was an American journalist, landscape designer and also the true founder of American landscape architecture. Frederick is famous for design-ing many well-known urban parks, including Central Park and also his role in designing the

Midway in Chicago for the World’s Columbian Exposition. Olmsted has had a significant career in journalism, and in 1850, he traveled to England to visit public gardens and bring back his findings about the landscape he became so interested in. He also

has traveled throughout the South in and has gained fame for books he’s written describing the slaveholding culture. His landscaping is fa-mous for incorporating lawns, woods, ponds, and paths to contribute an overwhelming effect for a nature lover.

ImportantExhibits

Court of HonorThe White City con-tains an area known as the Court of Honor. The Court of Honor is composed of classically styled white buildings. The buildings have columns and golden domes. These build-ings are connected to each other by a series of lagoons and canals. The Court of Honor build-

ings provide an element of prestige and high culture. They show what America can become. The Court of Honor represents a collabora-tion of world renown artists and architects and shows a complete international scope of truly what America has the ability to be. The Court of Honor shows an

ideal city, composed of clean streets, advanced sanitary systems and technological advances in cities -- it exhbiited new inventions that would change every-ones world. It provides a utopian feel for urban America in a time of distress and gives hope to all.

Electric BoatsThe Fair has a land-scape layout which was set around the sea. The water was essential in Olmstead’s designs and the boat companies employed this aspect to the fullest. Using electric boats, Venetian gondolas, a Norwegian Viking ship, a Japa-nese dragon boat and replicas of the Niña,

the Pinta and the Santa Maria visitors were fer-ried around the grounds. The electric boats are quieter and smaller than steam-powered boats and show the visitors the technological ad-vances in transportation and the future in travel and shipping. This new way to ship goods will add a completely new

side to business. The World’s Fair Steam-ship Company run their ferries from midtown to the exposition with live music to entertain on the ferries for 15 cents. The transportation provides insight into the future of transportation and also the progress America is making.

Like the architecture, some exhib-its were more important for the

symbol they sent about America

The Essay GuideGot an essay to write? The AHAP Tribune lays out the lasting social, cultural, and political changes that the World Fair of 1893 created. “Americuh,” indeed!

SocialThe Columbian Ex-position changed the whole way the country looked at the future: electricity was shown in a way that made things easy (and in many ways, absolutely spectacular). The Fair was important socially in that it made the shift

from an agrarian based life to an industrial one the obvious choice. The quality of life for the average American would certainly go up when electricity was made cost efficient. Another feature that was impor-tant of the fair in de-veloping the new social

order in America was the emphasis on money for happiness -- the Fair cost 50 cents to get into, and the other add-ons were important because they portrayed the future for the century. Whoever had money, in many eyes, got to have the most fun and opportunity.

Political

EconomicsWhile the Fair was going on, America had just recovered from a Great Panic. From this emerged a great era of material importance. One could fake their way into middle class by purchasing the right clothes, and the Fair provided many innova-

tions into the spending world. For example, the beginning of price-tagging was important in defining the new way things were going to be purchased -- the local store bartering went the way of clearly labeled tags and non-negotiable pricing. With this, an

era of capitalism was further established by the huge department stores that were cov-ered by the beautiful architecture in the fair. It also was important in developing a similar material culture in the West where people didn’t even know a com-mercial life existed.

for years and at the Fair, was not being publicly attacked and listened to by impor-tant African American speakers. The West was identified as the most important frontier after the Fair got placed there; no longer was the West a foreign place to politi-cians who had never

been to the West and now saw it’s true potential. It also was important politi-cally (although more important socially and economically) be-cause the emergence of the West through the Fair made people recognize it as a true state.

The Fair was located in Chicago after a Presidential Procla-mation approved it over bigger eastern cities like New York. The political impact of the Fair was that it opened up many new areas for discus-sion. For example, the issue of race, which had been covered

Why America Needs This

With the Panic looming over the country, America is in need of something inspirational. Something new, fresh and innovative. A pick-me-up for the country because of the economic slump we are in. This slump has been caused by the dump-ing of Philadelphia and Reading Railroad stocks which caused the company to go bankrupt. The investment in railroads, in turn, went completely south thus causing a terrible economic down-turn. So people have rushed to buy up gold and have sold all stocks and assets which has caused the stock market to crash, shattering business confidences. America needs the thing to bring confidences back up. That thing is the World’s Columbian Exposition. The nation needs the Fair because of the vast changes it is going through in such rough times. America needs to find unity, education and cultural stances and also the value of commerce and technology. America needs a confidence booster during such a nadir. The Fair will serve to show that Americans’ unity will stand stronger than their fear of change.

Americans do not feel confident in the businesses and economy currently. The flexible stock market companied with selfish big busi-nesses has left the common American feeling a little lack luster. But the Fair wants to prove that business in America is booming and the products offered are better than anything else out there. The pride in American goods will create pride all over and hopefully with a new sense of pride in the nation, new leaders can emerge to help shape the country into a world power. The fair promotes a consumer society, shifting it form the producer society America has been in the past.

If America can change to a consumer society but still able to produce, then it can intervene in world economic affairs and shift from domestic resourcing to international. America can become a world player in economics if it can play both sides of the economy. This is what the fair pro-motes. It promotes progress in business which will only allow America to become better. But the Fair promotes even more, and Americans can use the extra push.

In education, Americans needs to become more universal. Education needs to be-come a virtual entity for all. If all Americans are literate and capable of thought and philosophy then America can innovate. Innovation is the key to progress and improvement. Without innova-tion, a country stands static, unchanging and immobile and the only thing that changes is the date. The education involved at the Fair provides reality though. It provides a new cultural way of looking at the world and taking in the realities of the working world. For adults, that means know-ing what is capable. It means knowing what can happen with new innovation and hard work and shows what a city can become. For the youth of America, it provided an outlook about life and exactly what the country could be like if they work hard enough to gain the proper attributes to succeed. It shows the two worlds that people live in, the White City and the Midway. The Fair also has shown that Americans are ready to learn, and obtain the desire to learn. This desire will move people forward especially during such a progres-sive reform movement currently encompassing the nation. The nation needs this fair because the

education provided will show what can happen when the people are educated, they make prog-ress. And with the education comes knowledge and awareness and an ability to become success-ful not only as individuals but as a nation.

America needs the Fair because the fear of technology needs to be put down. Technology is a good thing. Technology promotes change and improvement. Without technology, there is no way for the innovations to take flight. If tech-nology stands still, then innovation has no way to become reality. It only stays as an idea. Technol-ogy will speed up progress, and allow America to become a dominant force. The fair, by exhibiting the good of technology such as electricity and the new abilities it allows, puts a positive face on change. For all Americans, technology will mean an improved living and more opportunity and choices. The progress within the nation tech-nologically will promote commerce, which will promote confidence and allow for people to gain the true opportunities laid out for them by the founding fathers.

Unity in Americans is the most important thing that will be gained from the fair. The fair provided the utopia Americans were seeking dur-ing times of dirty cities and corrupt governments. The city was clean, had advanced sanitary and transportation systems. The Fair provided the visitors with what the future could be past the panic. This creates a unity amongst Americans, who will strive to make the nation into that vision of the White City. It provides hope that America can become that utopia.

Inventions of the Fair (at least to America)

Juicy Fruit Hamburgers Laundry Machines

America has found itself in a predicament. It is shifting from many of its previous ways, and proving its identity to not only itself but also to the world. America has been plagued by youth, its agrarian ways, and also its association with the frontier but because of the fair it has made a statement to the world. Cultural respect is neces-sary. The Fair emphasized through education, technology, architecture and also new com-mercial tendencies that it was on par with other European nations.

The Fair, in a sense is just European culture moved to Lake Michigan and called a transforma-tion. The architecture in the White City is undeni-ably similar to that of classic Europe, such as the Court of Honor building. In addition to that there is the local culture that has evolved. The state and foreign buildings at the exposition along with the midway gave a confidence and pride Ameri-cans feel towards their developed culture left many feeling hesitant to shifting back to Europe-an style. The difference in styles also has people in a battle between high culture, like Europe, and popular style for that of the middle class and common man. But an overwhelming feeling is that by incorporating both styles, America can only become a better nation and a world power. Overall the fair shows that America is truly com-ing into its own and developing to make headway in the 20th century.

Although architecture is the most apparent way that the Fair is attempting to show how America is culturally transformed, the education at the fair also showed how cultivated and improved, in European eyes, America has become. The Fair

shakes the previous thought of youth America was plighted by and shows the education of the population as a whole and a new cultural awareness and civilizedness. Many find the Fair as a university which was able to provide the enrichment they so desired through the art and music on display from foreigners and also na-tives displaying new forms of the arts. This self improvement Americans are displaying adds to the general consensus that America is becoming a world power.

Technology also adds to a new vision of America. Technology isn’t something to fear now nor is it a symbol of shifting ways from agrarian to industrial commerce. Technology is the herald for a new age of American progress. With tech-nology comes the power, electricity. It is the latest in the science and progress, and the overwhelm-ing use throughout the Fair indicated its universal use and the progress to come from it.

Commercially, the Fair has shown that American business isn’t lacking, and the world can see that. The Fair has promoted the emerging consumer society, and has encouraged national confidence in business and the products being produced. The Fair provides a place for encour-aging American pride in local business, and because of this pride America can only soar as a world power. The emergence of the new ideals of corporations and businesses show that although the Panic has taken its toll on the railroad indus-try and the stock market, America will prevail. Because of leading businessmen, America will find prosperity in world economic affairs.

Imperialism has come about due to the fair though. With the new confidences and feeling of international superiority, America will push through for the top spot in world powers. The new feelings of technological and commercial advancement and stability has brought on the feeling that America will move forward and be-come one of the most powerful nations. America has been given new confidence, and because of the progress made and the incorporation of other worldly aspects along with the sustenance of the American identity, America will become “the best.” The Fair has shown exactly what kind of nation America can become with the cleanliness and the utopian ideals presented. The exhibits have shown the progress, advancement and in-novation which says that America is ready to step into an international role, youth aside.

The Fair has also shown that America although is quite the melting pot of a nation, it can come to-gether and become a self sufficient world power. With unity from all the foreign immigrants and native born Americans, they have created a new complete culture which is American. The Fair has been intended to increase American pride during these times of trouble by celebrating American made goods which would increase con-fidence in the business system. The Columbian Exposition has aided in the shift from a producer to consumer society pointing the way into the twentieth century whether it be in true American style, or a mixture of high European culture with popular American culture. Either way, the prog-ress made is evident and knowledge of America’s future dominance and control in world affairs is prevalent.

What The Fair SaysWhat did the fair do? Why was it important? In what ways did it push the world into the next century, one that America would dominate? We’ve got the answers, and we’re willing to share.

Inventions of the Fair (at least to America)

Cracker Jack Quaker Oats Hershey Chocolates