The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Daniel Burnham’s World”  

In this activity, students will research the traits and work of Daniel Burnham and create a three-dimensional representation of one of his buildings.

Daniel Burnham was one of the most successful and powerful architects in American history. His firm, Burnham and Root, built the world’s first “skyscrapers” and had a profound influence on the skyline of Chicago and other major cities. In this project, you will research Burnham’s buildings that still stand and continue to function and fascinate people today.

Part I: Research

• Research Burnham’s influence on American architecture and city planning.
• Choose one building that Burnham designed, either in Chicago or beyond, and research the structure’s construction and importance.
• Understand how Burnham’s work expresses the values of the Beaux-Arts architectural style.

Part II: Text Connections

• Revisit the parts and chapters of The Devil in the White City in which the historical figure of Burnham is characterized, especially with regard to his skills, his artistry, his business relationships, and his personal traits that connect with or account for his architectural successes.
• Select a series of 5-6 quotations from the text that best represent this figure’s impact on architecture and those who use and enjoy his creations.
• Summarize the meaning and context of each quote. Explain how each quotation connects in some way to your building choice.

Part III: Presentation

• Create a three-dimensional representation of your structure to show to your classmates. You may do this using any building materials available to you, or you may use a computer. Your representation should be on a much smaller scale than the original structure and should be able to be viewed from all sides.  
• Provide a written report (at least 500 words) on the building, its significance, and the specifics of its construction.
• Present your work to your classmates in a gallery walk of architecture models. In your presentation, deliver one of your selected quotations and explain how it connects to the structure you chose to build.

After presenting your work, view the models of other students. Leave comments on their structures and reflect on the challenges Burnham might have faced in constructing each building.

Teaching Suggestion: Building three-dimensional models can engage visual and tactile learners; this activity also provides an opportunity to read for detail and demonstrate a deeper understanding of significant text passages. The model should be small-scale. Students may use foam board, balsa wood, or other materials to make their models; a wide variety of techniques that allow students to experience the design process should be acceptable. For a project that encourages team roles and verbal communication, students might work in groups of 3-4.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who benefit from fewer choices or a more structured assignment might be provided a short list of options or encouraged to choose the Flatiron Building that Burnham designed in 1900. For students whose learning differences may impact their ability to construct a model, a detailed written description of the Burnham building they select may be an appropriate accommodation.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text throughout your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Daniel Burnham overcomes several formidable challenges to realize his vision of “the White City.”  

• How does Burnham manage to overcome the challenges standing in the way of his dream? (topic sentence)
• In the body of your essay, choose 2-3 challenges and explain how he overcomes them. What choices does he make, and what are the results?  
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain which achievement is the most impressive. Explain your rationale.

2. The Devil in the White City tells the intertwining story of two powerful American men.  

• According to the text, what do Daniel Burnham and H. H. Holmes have in common? (topic sentence)
• Choose 2-3 characteristics that the men share and provide textual evidence to support your claim for each.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, evaluate Larson’s choice to juxtapose these two figures. How significant is the connection between the two?

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by textual details, and a conclusion.

1. Larson says of the challenge of constructing the World’s Fair: “It could be done, because it had to be done, but the challenge was monstrous” (Part 1, Chapter 2). In a book full of “monstrosities,” how does the construction of the fair and its aftermath have disastrous consequences? Choose several examples from the text that show how the process of bringing the World’s Fair to Chicago led to tragedy or destruction. In your conclusion, summarize how Larson’s description of the fair balances the beautiful and the monstrous.

2. Larson’s book alternates between long, detailed chapters and short vignettes of people doing seemingly mundane tasks. How does the structure of the narrative compare to the traditional plot structure of a piece of fiction? In an essay of 3 or 5 paragraphs, explore the choices the author made in the structure of his narrative and explain the likely impact on readers. Use examples from a variety of locations in the narrative to support your ideas.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. According to the text, what do Daniel Burnham and H. H. Holmes have in common?

A) They both committed known crimes in the past.

B) Both men are ambitious builders.

C) They both have unpredictable tempers.

D) Both men influenced American architecture.

2. What does Eiffel’s Tower represent to Daniel Burnham?

A) An overrated folly that any architect should be able to improve upon

B) An impressive work, but one that was derivative of John Root’s innovative steel designs

C) A masterpiece and proof that French design had surpassed American design

D) One of many steel-designed structures that he used to inspire his art

3. Which of the following events presented serious challenges to the construction of “the White City”?

A) An outbreak of influenza

B) The beginning of the Spanish-American War

C) Union strikes

D) Interference from organized crime leaders

4. How does the failure of the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building affect Daniel Burnham?

A) It humbles him by showing that his designs are not perfect.

B) It frightens him because it suggests someone is plotting against him.

C) It puzzles him because the disaster has no explanation. 

D) It saddens him because it proves he was the wrong choice to lead the construction.

5. Which of the following describes a challenge to constructing buildings in Chicago? 

A) Bedrock lies deep below the surface.

B) Two types of bedrock shift against one another.

C) Transporting materials to the area is challenging.

D) The climate is hostile in the summer months. 

6. Which of the following best describes a contribution to the fair made by Olmstead despite his poor health? 

A) Installing all the electrical elements and making the final choice for direct current

B) Designing a building grand enough to rival the Eiffel Tower from the Paris exhibition

C) Devising ingenious ways for Burnham to commit insurance fraud

D) Inspecting the grounds of the exhibit in Paris and reporting back to Burnham with ideas

7. Which of the following is the strongest example of the theme of Magic and Mystery in the book?

A) Holmes manipulates unsuspecting victims who are never heard from again. 

B) Burnham’s pursuit of a successor to Eiffel’s Tower becomes almost obsessive.

C) The Chicago ground freezes over, making construction much more difficult.

D) Holmes spends time in Philadelphia’s Moyamensing Prison after his conviction.

8. Which best describes Frank Geyer’s point of view at the onset of his search for the missing Pitezel children? 

A) He believes the children are living safely with Holmes.

B) He is hopeful because the children were recently spotted living with Minnie in London.

C) He suspects they are dead because they have been missing for a long time.

D) He knows they are no longer living because he identified their bodies.

9. Which best describes the safety record of the construction of the World’s Fair?

A) The construction is remarkably safe with few accidents and no deaths.

B) Fires are common—several workers are injured badly, and one dies.

C) Fires, accidents, and floods occur, leading to the deaths of dozens.

D) Due to so many fire-related deaths, the construction is halted by authorities.

10. What incorrect belief does Prendergast hold?

A) He is a hotel owner and secretly a killer.

B) He is the designer of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

C) He helped the mayor get elected.

D) He is the devil in “the White City.”

11. What noise accompanies the first downward turns of the newly built Ferris Wheel?

A) The grinding of the axle that the engineers had forgotten to lubricate

B) The crashing of the cars as they fall to the ground

C) The shrieking of frightened passengers as they tried to maintain their balance

D) The clatter of wrenches and loose hardware landing on the car roofs

12. Which of the following best describes the public reception to the fair?

A) It was referred to as “Blunderland” because it fell so short of its attendance expectations.

B) It was referred to as “Wonderland” because of its enchanting beauty and grace.

C) It was referred to as “The Blight City” because so much of it remained unfinished.

D) It was referred to as “America’s Athens” because it replicated the ideals of the Greeks.

13. Who was one of Holmes’s murder victims?

A) Patrick Prendergast 

B) Sol Bloom

C) Georgiana Yoke

D) Minnie Williams

14. What was the fate of the majority of Burnham’s buildings in the immediate aftermath of the fair?

A) They were condemned by the city and bulldozed.

B) They were dismantled by volunteers and repurposed.

C) They were occupied by the poor and burned down.

D) They were added to the historical registry and preserved.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating textual details to support your response.

1. At the end of the fair, Larson writes “At this point, Burnham believed, nothing could tarnish the fair’s triumph or his own place in architectural history.” Based on the events included in the narrative, is Burnham’s triumph indeed untarnished? Why or why not?

2. According to Larson, what details about Holmes’s World’s Fair Hotel made it a trap for unsuspecting murder victims?