Documenting United States History

364 Chapter 16 | prosperity and reform | period seven 1890 –1945

p raCtICING historical thinking

Identify: What images are most prominent in this picture? What is its overall

purpose?

Analyze: Is this image a flattering one? Explain.

Evaluate: To what extent does this picture depict a new national identity for Amer-

ica that is based on immigration? Or does this image make a statement on the

difficulties of assimilation? Explain.

Library of Congress

m

usic

division.

Document 16.3 Luna Park, Coney island

c. 1908

Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, was a popular seaside destination for pleasure seek-

ers throughout the nineteenth century. By the 1880s, visitors could ride a carousel and one

of the first roller coasters. By 1900, Coney Island had become an important destination

for New Yorkers of the middle and working classes in search of leisure and fun.

tOpIC I | the Consumer’s City 365

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