How Did Coney Island Influence America's Rising Culture

Coney Island’s Influence on America’s New Rising Culture The turn of the Twentieth century serves as an age of major sociological change in America. The country experienced a pivotal transformation due to the growth of industry and cities, which gave rise to a need for recreation activities. During this time genteel reformers strived to set the standard for society by founding museums, art galleries, libraries, symphonies, and other establishments that would encourage people to spend their leisure time being constructive. Although the upper and middle classes could appreciate these institutions, the working classes and immigrant groups were left out, thus giving birth to a new form of entertainment, the amusement park. Coney Island, in particular
A new generation had come along and had forgotten the old values of the genteel reformers and became “eager to respond to amusement in a less earnest cultural mood: more vigorous, exuberant, daring, sensual, uninhibited, and irreverent” (Kasson 6). These cultural changes going on were greatly reflected by Coney Island and the entertainment it offered people. Coney Island provided a place where people could escape the big city and enter “a world apart from ordinary life, prevailing social structures and conditions” (41). Coney Island countered the cities atmosphere by encouraging behavior that would have been considered unacceptable in any other public setting. The amusement parks at Coney Island inspired its visitors to be “temporarily freed from normative demands” (41). When people entered Coney Island their customary roles and status were abandoned and everyone became equal to one another. Coney Island accommodated all people, regardless of their ethnicity or social class standing. This aspect was especially important for new immigrants and working class groups. Coney Island included these groups of people and provided them with “a means to participate in mainstream American culture on an equal footing” (40). This contrasted with the atmosphere of the cities and gave the immigrants and working class a better sense of belonging while they were on the
Coney Island had become very popular in a short amount of time and in order for the different parks to compete with each other new technology was in high demand. A major invention that supported the success of the amusement parks was the use of the electric light bulb. Luna Park would transform after dark, “‘Tall towers that had grown dim suddenly broke forth in electric outlines and gay rosettes of color, as the living spark of light traveled hither and tither, until the place was transformed into an enchanted garden’” (66). This aspect of the park heightened visitors stay and made Coney seem more magical than ever. Each park on the island had to compete for the affection of the visitors and Luna’s night display inspired other parks to be bigger and better. Dreamland took Luna’s idea and expanded, topping Luna’s quarter million electric lights with their million electric lights. Another important advance in technology for Coney Island was new means of transportation. The bright lights and amusements to the parks attracted all people and transportation was vital. People came to Coney Island by many different routes, “these included excursion boats, ferryboats, railroads, elevated trains, electric trolleys, subway trains, horsecars, hackney carriages, automobiles, and bicycles” (37). Advances in the nickel trolley ride in 1895 provided a quicker and cheaper way to get to Coney