The American City: Chicago

The city of Chicago has many names that represent how much the city represents America. By getting the name the Windy City, Chicago was know for its "talk" and politics that would fly through the city like the wind. Chicago was an up and coming city that had not only politicians talking, but everyone talking.

The name the White City also gained significance for Chicago in the 1890s because of the Worlds Fair. Chicago represents the new American city because it was "the chosen one" for the Worlds Fair. This means that out of many different city candidates, Chicago was seemingly the best suited city for what the Worlds Fair had to offer. This fair brought people from around the world because of how magnificent and over the top it was. There was no denying that Chicago was the perfect match and did a fantastic job of representing America and the World combined. The term White City comes from the fact that Chicago was in fact, a mostly White city. Although people from all over came to see the fair, the ones that could afford to travel to the fair just added to the amount of White people already living in Chicago. Because of the fair Chicago advanced in technology quicker then other American cities. The fair gave way to new things such as the Ferris wheel and other attractions that required manpower as well as machine power. This shows how Chicago took a leap head of other American cities.

One of the most significant parts of Chicago is it’s buildings. Before the great Chicago fire the tallest building was the Water Tower. Now, Chicago has some of the most beautiful skyscrapers in the world. This shows a truly American city because America in the 1890s was all about building up and out. Skyscrapers went from being a dreamed up phenomenon to a reality because of cities like Chicago. Big dreamers built Chicago into a city that represented what America was supposed to offer. Immigrants flocked to Chicago to find work and a fresh start. Although not all the cities in America did the best job for immigrants, Chicago gave them a place that was a bit more welcoming then others.