Chicago was pride hungry during the 1890s. The urbanization of the city lead to an increase desire to prove itself to the world. The majority of the income from the area came from the meat packing industry, branding Chicago as a dirty city. New York City and Boston both considered themselves a better fit for the occasion. Once the bid for Chicago was approved, many architects stayed loyal to their home cities, refusing to work on the project. Architects like John Root and Frederick Olmsted overcame their sectionalism and worked together as Americans on the World Fair’s team. The World’s Fair gave Chicago the opportunity to show the world it was not just a giant slaughterhouse, but in fact a thriving city with its’ own unique culture.
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Crime was rising, and people cared less and less about each other. The new flood of people prevented the police from investigating all of the murders. Police also turned a blind eye in The Jungle, as they were too interested in personal gain. In first chapter of Devil in the White City, Larson says “How easy it was to disappear,” in Chicago. (Larson 11). The concept of disappearing is displayed through H.H. Holmes, as he and his murders go almost undetected in the bustling city. Holmes’ crimes got lost in the city, and “had it not been for the exertions of the insurance companies which Holmes swindled...he might yet be at large, preying upon society.” (Larson 370). The urbanization of the city caused people to become more impersonal. The impersonalization can be seen in the guests of Holmes’ building, who do not notice when another resident went missing. Larson proposes that as the city grows, the less individual lives matter. The population as a whole masks the individual, allowing a person to disappear into the city. It is interesting to note that while Chicago was attempting to regain its’ reputation as a valuable city, it was simultaneously falling apart from
Crime was rising, and people cared less and less about each other. The new flood of people prevented the police from investigating all of the murders. Police also turned a blind eye in The Jungle, as they were too interested in personal gain. In first chapter of Devil in the White City, Larson says “How easy it was to disappear,” in Chicago. (Larson 11). The concept of disappearing is displayed through H.H. Holmes, as he and his murders go almost undetected in the bustling city. Holmes’ crimes got lost in the city, and “had it not been for the exertions of the insurance companies which Holmes swindled...he might yet be at large, preying upon society.” (Larson 370). The urbanization of the city caused people to become more impersonal. The impersonalization can be seen in the guests of Holmes’ building, who do not notice when another resident went missing. Larson proposes that as the city grows, the less individual lives matter. The population as a whole masks the individual, allowing a person to disappear into the city. It is interesting to note that while Chicago was attempting to regain its’ reputation as a valuable city, it was simultaneously falling apart from