Nationalism and George Ferris' Wheel

      Previous to the 1892 World's Fair in Chicago, France had established itself as the world leader in engineering with the building of the Eiffel Tower.  Built for the 1889 World's Exposition Universelle in Paris, France, this tower became the largest steel monument in the world (Brown).  This construction made America appear to have lost its dominance in world technology.

   The result of this defeat prompted fair officials of the 1892 Columbian Exposition to call on American Engineers for the spirit of nationalism to create a structure that would reconvey American technological superiority to the world.   Nationalism in this instance is related to the need to prove a country's superiority over another or all other countries.  The damaged feelings of nationalistic pride felt by the United States prior to the 1892 Columbian Exposition led to the building of the Ferris Wheel which in turn restored America to the top of the engineering world at the time.

     This wheel was constructed and  created an amazing sensation at the Columbian Exposition.  At 250 feet in height and having 36 cars that rotated 40 people over the landscape of the fair,(Columbia) this creation astonished the world. Ferris had found a way to out do Eiffel and return America to the pinnacle of world technology once again.

Brown, Frederick "The Barberous Black Skeleton" Wilson Quarterly;  33.2 (Spring 2009) 85-86

"Ferris Wheel" Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition 1/01/2009