City of big shoulders : a history of Chicago

This book links key events in Chicago's development, from its marshy origins in the 1600s to today's robust metropolis. The book presents Chicago in terms of the people whose lives made the city–from the tycoons and the politicians to the hundreds of thousands of immigrants from all over the world. This revised and updated second edition brings Chicago's story into the twenty-first century, as it reviews the colorful and dramatic panorama of the city's explosive past. How did the pungent swamplands that the Native Americans called “the wild-garlic place” burgeon into one of the world's largest and most sophisticated cities? What is the real story behind the Great Chicago Fire? What aspects of American industry exploded with the bomb in Haymarket Square? Could the gritty blue-collar hometown of Al Capone become a visionary global city? A city of immigrants and entrepreneurs, Chicago is quintessentially American. The book brings it to life and highlights the key people, moments, and special places–from Fort Dearborn to Cabrini-Green, Marquette to Mayor Daley, the Union Stock Yards to the Chicago Bulls–that make this incredible city, the book claims, one of the best places in the world. City of Big Shoulders links key events in Chicago's development, from its marshy origins in the 1600s to today's robust metropolis. Robert G. Spinney presents Chicago in terms of the people whose lives made the city—from the tycoons and the politicians to the hundreds of thousands of immigrants from all over the world. In this revised and updated second edition that brings Chicago's story into the twenty-first century, Spinney sweeps his historian's gaze across the colorful and dramatic panorama of the city's explosive past. How did the pungent swamplands that the Native Americans called "the wild-garlic place" burgeon into one of the world's largest and most sophisticated cities? What is the real story behind the Great Chicago Fire? What aspects of American industry exploded with the bomb in Haymarket Square? Could the gritty blue-collar hometown of Al Capone become a visionary global city? A city of immigrants and entrepreneurs, Chicago is quintessentially American. Spinney brings it to life and highlights the key people, moments, and special places—from Fort Dearborn to Cabrini-Green, Marquette to Mayor Daley, the Union Stock Yards to the Chicago Bulls—that make this incredible city one of the best places in the world. City of Big Shoulders links key events in Chicago's development, from its marshy origins in the 1600s to today's robust metropolis. Robert G. Spinney presents Chicago in terms of the people whose lives made the city--from the tycoons and the politicians to the hundreds of thousands of immigrants from all over the world.In this revised and updated second edition, Spinney sweeps his historian's gaze across the colorful and dramatic panorama of Chicago's explosive past. How did the pungent swamplands that the Native Americans called the wild-garlic place mushroom into one of the world's largest and most sophisticated cities? What is the real story behind the Great Chicago Fire? What aspects of American industry exploded with the bomb in Haymarket Square? Did the 1920s in Chicago roar as loudly as Hollywood would have us believe?A city of immigrants and entrepreneurs, Chicago is quintessentially American. Spinney brings those people to life and features the key moments and special places--from Fort Dearborn to Cabrini-Green, Marquette to Mayor Daley, the Union Stockyards to the Chicago Bulls--that make this incredible city one of the best places in the world The Early World Of Chigagou, 1600-1750 -- Chigagou Becomes Chicago, 1750-1835 -- Boom, Bust, And Recovery In Early Chicago, 1835-1850 -- Chicago Conquers The Midwest, 1850-1890 -- Life In A City On The Make, 1850-1900 -- The Fire, The Bomb, And The Fair, 1871-1893 -- The New Immigration, 1880-1920 -- Progressivism And Urban Reform, 1890-1915 -- World War I And The Roaring Twenties, 1915-1929 -- The Great Depression, World War Ii, And Suburban Growth, 1929-1955 -- Richard J. Daley And The City That Works, 1955-1976 -- The Transitions Of The Post-daley Years, 1976-1997 -- Glamorous And Grim : Chicago In The Twenty-first-century. Robert G. Spinney. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Electronic Reproduction. Baltimore, Md Available Via World Wide Web. "This compact yet comprehensive account of Chicago's history links key events in the city's development, from its marshy origins in the 1600s to today's robust metropolis. Synthesizing a vast body of literature, Spinney presents Chicago in terms of the people whose lives made the city - not only the tycoons and the politicians but also the hundreds of thousands of immigrants from all over the world who have kept the city working.". "This account will interest students and teachers of urban history, as well as anyone looking for a brisk overview of Chicago's history."--BOOK JACKET. "This compact yet comprehensive account of Chicago's history links key events in the city's development, from its marshy origins in the 1600s to today's robust metropolis. Synthesizing a vast body of literature, Robert Spinney presents Chicago in terms of the people whose lives made the city-not only the tycoons and the politicians but also the hundreds of thousands of immigrants from all over the world who have kept the city working"-- Provided by publisher