US History 19th Century

US History 19th Century
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This essay will focus on the book, “The Devil in the White City” by Erik Larson. This book interweaves the story of a serial killer with an account of the construction of the Chicago World’s Fair. It also paints a more general picture of life in a major U.S. city during the 1890s—the height of the Gilded Age. For this essay, imagine that you are describing the experience of living in 1890s Chicago to a friend or family member. Explain to this other person about how they might experience the city in terms of sensations: feelings they might have, what they would see or hear or smell, who they might meet on the street, etc. You can talk about any place from the book—Holmes’s shop, the White City, Burnham’s office tower—and any people or events, but you need to communicate what makes Gilded Age America different from the present. If you want to talk about Holmes, for example, you need to talk about what qualities mark him as a man of the Gilded Age. Please offer a vivid picture or an interesting insight into this period, while also showing that you read the book closely enough to have a good sense of city life in the Gilded Age.