II. Historical Development

United States: The origins go back to London's 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition19)

The first World's exhibition in London 1851 stimulated the development of comparable events in America. These exhibitions draw on, and reshape an early tradition of agricultural and mechanical fairs.

• Horace Greeley and Phineas T. Barnum, organize America's first international fair in New York City in 1853.
• It takes until 1876 for a group of Philadelphia civic leaders, together with the federal government, to organise an international exhibition to celebrate the nation's centennial and its reunification after the Civil War. The success of Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, attracting millions of visitors, launches the first generation of American international fairs: New Orleans (1884-1885), Chicago (1893), Atlanta (1895), Nashville (1897), Omaha (1898), Buffalo (1901), Charleston (1901), St. Louis (1904), Portland (1905), Jamestown (1907), Seattle (1909), San Francisco (1915), and San Diego (1915-1916)
• With the stock market crash of 1929 and the ensuing depression, the Century of Progress Exposition (1933-1934) takes on unexpected importance and spurs the organization of expositions in San Diego (1935-1936), Dallas (1936), Cleveland (1936), San Francisco (1939-1940), and New York City (1939-1940). Fairs during the depression era draw audiences that nearly equals the attendance at the earlier fairs and become a central part of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal efforts to demonstrate the government's concern for the economic and social welfare of Americans.
• International expositions continue to be organized in the wake of Seattle's exposition and New York's 1964-1965 extravaganza. San Antonio hosts HemisFair '68, Spokane holds a fair in 1974, and Knoxville and New Orleans organize expositions in 1982 and 1984, respectively.