Coney Island
Coney Island At the turn of the twentieth century, many radical social and industrial movements began to change the American culture. At this time, an industrial revolution was sweeping the nation ushering in a complete change of the American dream, America was becoming global power and empire, women were relentlessly fighting for social equalities, and cities grew even larger with large amounts of immigrants pouring into the nation’s coasts. Some people looking for something that resembles all that happened in this era may be looking for a specific person or group, but their search ends at a small island in New York, Coney Island. This small, quaint, wasteland in Brooklyn would spring up to be one of the greatest amusement parks of all time.
Having roller coasters, beaches, and games, Coney Island seemed like that’s all it was, an amusement park, but it meant more than that. It all began in 1847 when a sidewheeler began tieing up on the west end of the island. At that time there were just a few people with small food stands and men playing games along with the prostitution and stealing happening there. Soon on the west end of the island, three large hotels went up that drew in more respectable families. The people who couldn’t afford the fancy west end, and wanted to avoid the vices of the east, crowded the beach in between called West
Brighton. These people here were from all different backgrounds and classes; they were rich, poor, farmers, townspeople, and people of all different descents all having fun together in the same water. However, the real excitement didn’t start until John McKane corruptly gained almost complete political control over the island. McKane ushered in a whole new era for Coney Island, developing West Brighton and bringing in other attractions like the 300 ft observation tower which was the tallest structure in the U.S. at the time. Under McKane's control, Coney became a place of new inventions
Having roller coasters, beaches, and games, Coney Island seemed like that’s all it was, an amusement park, but it meant more than that. It all began in 1847 when a sidewheeler began tieing up on the west end of the island. At that time there were just a few people with small food stands and men playing games along with the prostitution and stealing happening there. Soon on the west end of the island, three large hotels went up that drew in more respectable families. The people who couldn’t afford the fancy west end, and wanted to avoid the vices of the east, crowded the beach in between called West
Brighton. These people here were from all different backgrounds and classes; they were rich, poor, farmers, townspeople, and people of all different descents all having fun together in the same water. However, the real excitement didn’t start until John McKane corruptly gained almost complete political control over the island. McKane ushered in a whole new era for Coney Island, developing West Brighton and bringing in other attractions like the 300 ft observation tower which was the tallest structure in the U.S. at the time. Under McKane's control, Coney became a place of new inventions