Historical Visit The Windy City, was all that I knew of Chicago before my visit. As someone who never really traveled far, Chicago was no different as I had never really visited it. So when looking to complete my summer homework, I thought this, the Chicago Historical Society, would be the ideal place to broaden my perspective. The museum itself was a great place to be itself but what really caught my eye were the artifacts, especially those of the Great Chicago Fire and some of the great historical exhibits such as Lincolns Chicago, which detailed the Chicago that Abraham Lincoln grew up in; “one of a dynamic young metropolis on the verge of greatness.” The exhibits ranged from the earliest times of Chicago, building the city itself, until modern-day. Perhaps the most controversial topics within the museum were those of African-American rights, industrial workers, both male and female, and the growing cities criminal problem.
The museum offered a large number of exhibits regarding industrial workers, as Chicago itself was an advancing society, the exhibits took you into the lives of the workers who spends up to 12 hours or more within the factories repeating task after task with little to no safety or rest. Due to these unsafe working conditions articles and novels such as “The Jungle”, by Upton Sinclair, were written to expose these issues. Work within the factories was popularized by media due to times of war, as well as being the most is the easily employable job; as the salary was worth more than long hours for the working class. Eventually even woman were offered jobs within industrial positions as all hands could be used within the factories, this was a major step forward in female equality. Over time after several protests and media coverage working conditions improved and Chicago became a major city due to major industrialization.
Having Pres. Lincoln come from Illinois himself and the state being in the North, gender and race played a huge role in Chicago's history; things such as the Grant Park protests and labor protests were one of many in Chicago's history of advancing equality. Events such as the Jim Crow Laws and rise of inequality groups influences such as the Black Panthers and the KKK created severe issues within the city, splitting it in black and white. Perhaps one of the most important things I learned was that Chicago had one of the most segregated pasts as even the water fountains and restrooms were separated between the people , yet this extreme separation was what caused the African-American population to shine in a new light. They began to express themselves through new forms of art including dance, music, and painting; thus leading to events such as the Harlem Renaissance and new forms of music such as the blues and jazz.
Overall I thought Chicago was just a major city with big buildings and nice tourist attractions, but through this I have realized that it is a city with a rich history of both success through advancement and struggle through separation. It is due to these once issues that the city is in the great position it is today, as a landmark for advancement. Others may share my perspective once they too look into the deep and rich past of the major landmark that we take for granted. Despite not visiting it as frequently as others, I feel that now I have gained the same perspective that others do when they visit the city as often as they do home.