What Can We Learn from America’s Centennial?
Racism, class conflict, and partisanship are as much a part of present-day American life as they were in 1876, writes Fergus M. Bordewich.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
As we get ready to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding—in an America stressed by authoritarian overreach, economic anxiety, and partisan trench warfare—we might look back for a lesson or two to 1876, when the United States threw itself its most lavish birthday party, on its Centennial. For six months, Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park hosted the continent’s first World’s Fair, a triumphal extravaganza that comprised some 200 buildings including spectacular glass palaces that highlighted the inventions, manufactures, and arts of America and the world.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at TIME — Top.
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