The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

PROLOGUE-PART 1

Reading Check

1. What part of Burnham’s body bothered him during his journey? 

2. What type of “material” did Mudgett attempt to produce in an insurance fraud scheme gone wrong?  

3. Who became Burnham’s landscape architect?  

4. Who died from pneumonia in his bed?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why was Burnham, aboard the Olympic, unable to send a telegram to his friend on another ship?

2. In what way did Burnham and John Root transform the look of the Chicago skyline?

3. What was unusual about Holmes’s decision to marry Myrta Z. Belknap?

4. How did Holmes attempt to take advantage of his new father-in-law, and how did his plan fail?

Paired Resource

“The Rookery: A Natural Light Challenge”  

• This 2-minute video from the Chicago Architecture Center demonstrates how Burnham and Root worked together to design an innovative and beautiful building that overcame difficult challenges. 
• This resource connects to the theme of Magic and Mystery.  
• How does this video help you understand the work of an architect and why architecture is referred to in the book as “Frozen Music”?