Roller Coasters History

Roller coasters, one of the best amusement rides that ever existed. This amazing ride traces its origins back to Russia where it all began (Source E). Russia is where wood-framed ice slides sent sledders down 70- foot high slopes in the 16th century, in St.Petersburg, Russia (Source E). Since, Russia was a snowy place, the sleds were a perfect pastime. The roller coaster was built out of lumber with a sheet of ice several inches thick covering the surface to make sure it was as safe and sturdy as it could be (Source F). The riders climbed the stairs attached at the back of the slide, and they sped down a 50 degree drop (Source F). The slide were mostly ridden by the upper class of Russia (Source F). During the winter festivals in Russia, the
The French businessmen thought they hit the target for France’s entertainment, but they quickly found out that France was not too cold like Russia, so they couldn’t keep the slides totally frozen (Source B). The wet and mushy ride made them think how to fix it, and they found the solution to it. The French people decided to make put wheels on the sleds (Source B). The wheels removed the need for ice, but accidents were still happening at the same rate as ice sled accidents (Source B). In 1817, two coasters were built in France which were called the Les Montagnes Russes a Belleville, which were the first wheeled coasters (Source F). It was the ride that locked sleds’ wheels into a track and became the world’s first roller coaster (Source F). In that same year, they creates another wheeled coaster called Arial Walk, which had a heart-shaped track supporting love (Source
The Mauch Chunk Switchback railway in eastern Pennsylvania, made the roller coasters not for entertainment in the 1820’s, but for coal mining (Source A). The first passengers were mules (Source A). The mules and the coal were coasted from the top of Mount Pisgah down to a canal (Source A). By 1844. A track to return stuff had been laid and the system was dubbed the Switchback , which was one the first american coasters (Source A). But, as the mines were expanding throughout the neighboring mountains, the switchback became useless (Source A). In 1870, the Yankee shrewdness made the railway from a miner’s helper to a renowned tourist attraction throughout America (Source A). Soon, they created a railway called the Scenic Railway, which made passengers get a ride up and down a mountain for a good one dollar (Source A). Then the roller coasters began to evolve and became the number one entertainment in the 19th century (Source C). Coney Island, an entertainment destination, created the a 30- foot high circular loop constructed in 1900 called the Flip-Flop and it was closed due to health concerns, but people paid to watch it work in action (Source A). Over the next 30 years, the rides continued to thrive and were joined by wooden roller coasters (Source C). These were the main entertainment for the people back then so amusement parks were super famous. The roller