HIST 100: Engineering The Past

Planner’s Beliefs

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At the very end of part one on page 109 H.H Holmes writes; “ I was born with the devil in me, I could not help the fact that I was a murderer, no more than the poet can help the inspiration to sing.” I think this quote from Holmes points out the belief he has for himself as being nothing but what he was born to be. He doesn’t fight with his “demons”, as some other murders might, he accepts them as being part of him, being part of what makes him great and charismatic. The same way that the many demons make Chicago the city it is.

Daniel Burnham- on page 128 Erik Larson brings up the abundance of letters Burnham has been sending his wife. He wrote to his wife; “You must not think thus hurry of my life will last forever. I shall stop after the worlds fair, I have made up my mind to this.” I think that Burnham holds strong in his value and beliefs of family and this is shown so far throughout the book. I do think though that it could be argued that he is losing that value with the more time and effort he gives to the world fair. Erik Larson in the same passages makes note of how close Burnham and his wife actually are in distance and how easy it could be to go home.

On page 120 and 121 When Charles Atwood is introduced, I think that introducing him as an opium addict, is clearly drawing a line between the values of Burnham and Atwood. Erik Larson describes him as having “black gun-muzzled eyes”, shortly after explaining the darkness of his eyes by his opium addiction. As an opium addict I think that his values and beliefs are completely opposite from that of Burnham, aside from the fact that either would do anything to get the high. For Atwood that is opium, for Burnham that is the satisfaction the finished fair with provide him.

the fair

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Near the end of this section of the reading, Erik Larson writes of the “turmoil and grief engulf[ing] Chicago.” “The old world,” he notes, “was passing” (121-22). Based on what you’ve read so far, what do you think was the most significant issue or tension in the United States in the 1880s and 1890s, and why? Cite evidence from the book to support your choice

– the expansion of availability to other counties and cultures

“New York was the nation’s capital of cultural and social refinement, and it’s leading citizens and newspapers never let Chicago forget it” (16). not only that but the landscape was drastically changing due to  growth in the cities because of immigration

why did

  • i think he chose the two stories to show a more rounded view of the country during this period. becoming macro and micro (big and smaller perspectives) though all in all provide a compelling lens for the past. True , the epitaph of North Americas first serial killer of the time is interesting enough but that would not have garnered enough reason to read this for a historical engineering class. not only does the inclusion of the two stories make this a relevant but also fascinating,

World Fair Reflection

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During this time period in the United States, one of the biggest problems can be associated with the declining global economy. Specifically focusing on Chicago, the city has taken many blows as they recently suffered from a cholera and typhoid outbreak due to dirty water that took the lives of ten percent of the population (Pg.109). The city wanted to create revenue and also innovate an idea that would give Chicago an attractive look. The World Fair was the perfect way to generate mass revenue and attract various cultures and lots of tourism. At the end of chapter ten, Larson seems to be foreshadowing problems for Burnham. The economy was declining and union workers are creating unrest for better pay and working conditions. These challenges facing Burnham could affect the success of the fair, but chapter ten revealed a turning point for Burnham, his pride has bolstered after grieving the death of John Root. His pride bolstered to prove he is equally capable of building the fair without Root.

 

Many reasons could be attributed for intertwining the story of Holmes and Burnham. The story of Holmes is based on a true story that occurred in the World Fair and is also referred to as America’s first serial killer. This aspect alone creates a thrilling story to fuse with the creation of the fair. I also think Larson is using Holmes to amplify similar characteristics with Burnham and the city itself, while drastically different actions are taken between both characters.