Prologue: Aboard the Olympic
Solve all the four questions please
1. According to the text and the video on Blackboard Blackboard Make no Little Plans who is Daniel
Burnham? Pg.3-4
2. What was the Columbian Exposition? Pg. 4-5
3. Give three examples of “the darkness” pg. 5-6
4. Research Question: What was the Olympic and what was its sister ship? What passengers do
you think the Olympic was going to pick up in 1912 and why?
The Monadnock
1891-1893
53 W. Jackson Boulevard
The Rookery
1888
209 S LaSalle
The Reliance
1890-1891
32 N State Street
Part One: Architecture and Daniel Burnham and John Root Presentation
Directions: In a group of 3, choose one of the buildings or structures below by Burnham and Root.
Research it. Prepare a 6 slide power point (mostly pictures) of the building. Tell the class everything
you found out about it.
Union Stockyard Gate (1875) Exchange Avenue at Peoria Street
Montauk Block (1882) at Monroe and Dearborn
Rookery Building (1888) at LaSalle and Adams 209 S LaSalle
Monadnock Building (1891) at Jackson and Dearborn 53 W. Jackson Boulevard
Rand-McNally Building (1890), on Adams Street between LaSalle and Quincy
Reliance Building/Hotel Burnham (1895) 32 N. State Street
Marshall Field and Company Store (1892) 111 N. State
Orchestra Hall (1905) on Michigan Avenue south of Adams Street.
Railway Exchange Building (1904), now the Santa Fe Building
Part Two: Reading Questions
Directions: Choose 6 of the following questions. Explain, give examples and expand your answers by
connecting it to something else in the text or other reading.
1. What was Chicago like in the 1890's? Why is the city described as black? How is this
color symbolic of life in the times of the 1890s? (pp. 11-14)
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2. What was the big idea that Burnham proposed? Where did it come from? (pp. 14-15)
3. Erik Larson describes Englewood as a neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. He
also describes many of the streets in the neighborhood of Englewood. Look at the map
of Englewood and label the following locations mentioned on pages 36-37.
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Jackson Park
Washington Park
63rd Street
Wallace Street
Wentworth Street
4. What was Herman Mudgett’s childhood like? (pp. 38-40)
5. What illegal plan did Herman Mudgett and his classmate come up with? (pp. 42-43)
6. How did Herman Mudgett get the store after Dr. Holton died and what happened to Mrs
Holton? (pp. 46-47)
7. Who was Theodore Dreiser and what was his book sister Carrie about? Read the first
chapter of Sister Carrie. Write a 5 sentence summary. https://archive.org/stream/ostenglish-sistercarrie00dreiiala/sistercarrie00dreiiala#page/n11/mode/2up
8. What kind of architects and artists did Burnham want to have working with him to
design the world's fair? (pp. 48 - 56; pp. 75-84)
9. Why do you think Holmes is being so secretive about his building? (pp. 66-67)
10. Who was Myrta? (pp.62-66) What qualities of Holmes did she find so disconcerting? (pp.
87)
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11. What was H.H. Holmes’ new idea for his building? How was he going to modify it now
that he knew that the World’s Fair would be built just East of his building? (pp. 85-6)
12. What was Holmes planning to build in the basement of his building? How was this thing
supposed to ‘help’ him with his plans? (pp. 90 – 92)
13. Why were the eastern architects “discouraged and full of regret” when they took a tour
of Jackson Park, the site of the World’s Fair? (pp. 94- 96)
14. Explain Larson’s statement “Vanishment seemed [to have become] a Chicago pastime.”
(p. 102)
15. What was happening to some of Burnham’s co-leaders of the World’s Fair Project? Why
is this section of the text entitled “Alone”? (pp. 104 – 109)
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Devil in the White City
Part Three Questions
Directions: Choose 7 questions and answer in E3 format for your portfolio. Reading idea-read
every other chapter and follow the HH Holmes story or read every other chapter about the
World’s Fair and Burnham story.
Opening Day pp. 235 - 242
1. Picture the opening days of the Fair in your mind. Be prepared to share your vision during class
discussion. In your journal, make sure you have three explicit images with citations to support
your vision.
2. Twenty-four hours after the Fair opened, only 10,000 people came. Why did people stay home?
Holmes' Hotel pp. 243 – 246
3. Why was Minnie's presence starting to become awkward for Holmes? What personality trait
made his solution favorable to both Minnie and himself?
Prendergast pp. 246
4. What you know about Prendergast for sure? Find two quotes that support your claim.
The Marvels of the Fair pp.247 – 255
5. Of the many concepts and devices new to visitors and to the world, name three new items that
especially surprised you.
6. Explain one exhibit or concession that you would liked to have seen and explain why.
7. of all the exhibits at the Fair, what drew the most crowds and moved the people to awe. Please
find the best quote that explains this reaction.
8. Name two facts about the electricity at the fair.
Holmes' "Material" pp. 256 – 257
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9. How does each paragraph on these two pages connect with each other? What does the word
"articulation" mean on page 25 7?
Royalty at the Fair pp. 258 – 263
10. Why were Chicago's elite so disappointed in the Infanta Eulalia? What proof do you find that
this disappointment was predictable?
Holmes' visit to the Fair pp. 264 – 268
11. Who is brother "Harry" who showed Minnie and Anne such a good time? Since there is no
record of this visit, why did the author include it?
Launching the Ferris Wheel pp. 269 – 273
12. Why was the success of Ferris' Wheel so important for the Fair? You'll have to go back and
review your notes, as it answer won't be in these pages. Make sure your journal entry includes
specific citations from the text.
The Wonders of the Fair pp. 274 – 289
13. On pages 274 and 275, Burnham mentions several reasons why people may not be attending
the Fair. Which of these would keep you away and why?
Holmes, Minnie and Anna pp. 290 – 292
14. On page 290 to 292, the author describes the magic of the Independence Day Celebration at the
Fair. The night was further sweetened by Holmes' generous offer to Minnie and Anna. List
three clues why this may not be the sweet deal the women suspect.
Burnham's Worries pp. 293
15. What's a Retrenchment Committee? If they had been successful, how would it have destroyed
the fair? Why is risk-aversion (go online and look it up) so deadly to entertainment ventures?
List three entertainment ventures that you've experienced that risked enormous expenditures.
Death of Minnie and Anne 294 -- 298
16. Go online and look up characteristics of any serial killer. Using a y-chart, on the first "Y", compile
the significant characteristics that made them effective killers (be sure to print the article and
staple it into your journal). Use citations. On the other "Y", add bullet points that describe
Holmes' characteristics (you can copy them from previous charts but make sure you cite the
original text). At the bottom of the "Y", write a couple of sentences that sum up what you know
believe are similarities between the two serial killers.
Theo Dreiser at the Fair pp. 299 – 307
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17. On page 301, the author foreshadows the next day's tragedy. What were those tragic events,
and why do you think the weather was involved?
Holmes' Other New Wife pp. 307
18. Go back and count. What number wife is this? Prove your answer with citations.
Mayor Harrison's New Girlfriend pp. 308
19. Go on-line and learn more about Anne Howard. Today, in our twenty-four hour news cycle, the
media would have handled this story much differently. Start such a story, providing bulleted
who, what, when, where, how, and why in your journal about Carter Harrison's relationship with
Anne Howard. Remember that what information you provide has to be true, so be sure to cite
your sources.
Retrenchment and Millie's response pp. 309 – 316
20. On page 309, we hear again about the "Retrenchment Committee." What does retrenchment
mean in this sense? Why did even the bottom-line focused business people of Chicago resist
the Committee's recommendation to approve every Fair expenditure?
Prendergast pp. 317
21. Why did Krauss go along with Prendergast?
Surpassing Paris pp. 318 – 323
22. Why was "Chicago Day" so significant? What events assured success (be specific and remember
to cite the bullet points in your journal with page numbers).
Pitezel's Insurance Policy pp. 323 – 326
23. Holmes was ready to leave the White City. What specific steps did he take before he left? What
do you think is the significance of Holmes' purchasing the insurance policy on Pitezel?
Mayor Harrison's Murder pp. 327 – 333
24. Go online and see how many bodyguards Mayor Emmanuel has. How does the current Mayor
make himself available to the citizens of Chicago? What role do you think Mayor Harrison's
murder had in these decisions?
End of the Fair pp. 334 – 336
25. On page 323, the author said, "The White City had drawn men and protected them; the Black
City now welcomed them back, on the even of winter, with filth, starvation, and violence."
Detail in your journal specific ways, based on the details from pages 334-336, how the Black City
did this.
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Detective Geyer
Pietzel Children
Julia and Pearl
Devil in the White City
Part Four and Epilogue Questions
Directions: Choose 5 of the following questions. Explain, give examples and expand your answers by
connecting it to something else in the text or other reading.
Introducing Frank Geyer pp. 339-346
1. Holmes up to this point did not keep trophies. Why did he keep the children's letters to
their mother?
2. Why does Holmes lead Georgiana Yoke, Mrs. Pietzel, and the Pietzel children around at
the same time if he had planned on killing them anyways?
Alice's Letters pp. 347 – 350
3. What significant information did Detective Geyer learn from Alice's letters?
4. Why doesn't Geyer want Holmes to read the paper when he discovered the Pietzel girls'
bodies in Toronto?
Moyamensing Prison pp. 351 – 353
5. Why did Holmes keep his diary? What parallels can you find today, in the news, to
Holmes' diary?
The death of Alice and Nellie pp. 354-359
6. Why didn't Geyer tell Ms. Pritezel about the girls' discovery himself? Why was it in the
paper in the first place?
Holmes' Memoir pp. 360 – 362
7. What evidence did Holmes state that proved that Minnie was still alive? Geyer felt that
Holmes was enjoying the national hunt for the children. Why did he think so? Was he
right, in your opinion?
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Finally, Chicago Wakes Up pp. 363 – 368
8. What's your body count? Do you think it could have been two hundred? Why or why
not?
Holmes Is Finally Charged pp. 369-370
9. Why didn't Chicago discover Holmes earlier?
Burnham Again pp. 373-378
10. What was the "Chicago Plan"? Why do you think Burnham turned down other offers to
do this work for free?
Wrapping Up Loose Ends pp. 379-383
11. Why is this chapter called "Recessional"?
Holmes' Trial pp. 384-388
12. How does Holmes' demeanor throughout his trial reflect his sanity?
13. Please explain why Holmes would be able to "…look at himself in a mirror and tell
himself that he was one of the most powerful and dangerous men in the world…" and
that "…he could feel that he was a god in disguise." Do you agree?
Epilogue pp. 389 – 390
14. What is the significance of the location of the bodies in Graceland Cemetery?
15. If it wasn't for Holmes' personality and charm, how successful would had he been in his
endeavors?
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