Several Chicago area students have been researching the 1893 World’s Fair and presented their project at spring history fairs.

The Chicago Metro History Fair engages students in grades 6 through 12 in a research project relating to local history. A set of History Fair events during the Spring of 2019 culminated in the Finals competitions at Chicago History Museum on April 10, 2019. Some of these projects were advanced to Illinois History Day, held on Thursday, May 2, 2019, in Springfield, Illinois.

Student present their research in one of five project categories: exhibits, papers, documentary videos, performances, or websites. For 2019, the fairs had a theme of “Triumph & Tragedy in History.” Several projects addressed interesting topics relating to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, including:

  • “Women in 1893 Fair” an exhibit by Avery Langdon and Alexis Rootberg of Vernon Hills School; 2019 Illinois History Day award winner!
  • “World’s Columbian Exposition: The Success of the Fair and the Tragedy of H. H. Holmes” a website by Szymon Kuligowski of Ridgewood High School; advanced to 2019 Finals;
  • “Fire in the White City” an exhibit by Hadli Joyce of Ogden International Middle School; advanced to Illinois History Day
  • “Hullabaloo and Homicide: The 1893 World’s Fair” an exhibit by Naima Douglas and Grace Mullin of Parker Junior High School; advanced to Illinois History Day
  • “Swami Vivekananda’s Influence at the 1893 Chicago World’s Parliament of Religions” a paper by Karan Shah of Niles North High School; advanced to Illinois History Day
  • “African Americans’ Triumph and Tragedy in the Columbian Exposition” a documentary video by Safa Azad, Sophia Villacarlos and Nicole Tran from Von Steuben High School; advanced to 2019 Finals. Their 10-minute video is posted on YouTube

https://youtu.be/JFr8fc1IE8M

The 2019 National History Day [https://www.nhd.org/national-contest], held June 9-13, 2019, at the University of Maryland, College Park, also featured the “Triumph & Tragedy in History” theme. Among the projects submitted were “1893 Chicago World’s Fair” and “A Lasting Legacy: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Chicago Columbian Exposition of 1893.”

The National History Day Theme for 2020 will be “Breaking Barriers in History.” We hope to see more young historians explore the history of the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago.

The 2019 Chicago History Fair featured research on the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. [Photo from HBK Engineering, a proud sponsor of Chicago Metro History Fair.]