During my sophomore year of high school I was enrolled in AP US History and we read the book, Devil in the White City, in class. It was through this novel that I first learned about the Columbian Exposition of 1893, and when I walked into class on Tuesday I was genuinely excited when I found out that we would be watching a documentary on the Chicago World’s Fair. In high school, at only 15 years old, my ability to understand the magnitude of the exposition was limited. Now, after watching the documentary in class, I have a much deeper understanding for what the effects of the fair were, both technologically and culturally.
The Chicago World’s Fair took place 124 years ago from present day, which seems like an extended period of time relative to my own life. In reality though, 124 years is a minute period of time when compared to the lifetime of the earth. But it is in these last few centuries that the greatest advancements in society have been seen. After reflecting on the documentary, I pondered over what has caused this rapid boost in technological expansion, and I settled on the one thing that drives most people: competition. Nearly every major country was given their own building at the fair, and each country’s goal was to highlight who they are to the world, and show why they were the best. This heightened since of competition drove architects to construct the largest and most outlandish buildings, and it drove innovators to design products for the future. This was all done out of a sense of pride for one’s country.
During the operation of the fair, countless designs of new products were revealed and showcased by each country. At the time, everything seemed perfect, and there was a constant peace felt around the park. Visitors were head-over-heels for rides on the large Ferris wheel; they were blown away by the heights the air balloon could take them; they were enlightened by Thomas Edison’s light-bulb; and they were shell-shocked by the immense size and destructive power of Germany’s guns. No visitor took the time to think about what implications may follow this rapid advancement in technology and production, and it is ironic to think about how this drive for success has actually led to war and destruction of world peace.
Although the push and drive for individuals to create the ‘next best thing’ has resulted in far advancements in technological production, it has also granted countries the ability to devastate entire populations of people during a war. It is ironic that the German gun that received high acclaim at Chicago’s World’s Fair, was used just twenty years later during WWI to cause massive death and destruction. It makes you wonder, at what point do we need to focus on the present, rather than worrying so much about creating something for the future.