Great Bridge

Guided Question: Explain what made the Brooklyn Bridge more historically significant than other bridges or as important as other technological breakthroughs of the late-19th century.

They said it couldn’t be done! What makes the successful building of the Brooklyn Bridge so incredible? Aside from the fact that for almost “fifty years after it was completed the Brooklyn Bridge reigned supreme as the most magnificent, if not technically the largest, suspension bridge on earth;” (pg. 543)  

The Bridge was a “wonder of Science,” an “astounding exhibition of the power of man to change the face of nature.” It was a monument to “enterprise, skill, faith, endurance.” It was also a monument to “public spirit,” “the moral qualities of the human soul,” and a great, everlasting symbol of “Peace.” (pg. 533-534)

At the time the bridge was completed, it was much longer than any other suspension bridge in the world. The towers which anchor the bridge to the ground were also the tallest structures in the entire Western Hemisphere. The finished bridge would prove to be not only an engineering marvel, but also a work of art of unparalleled style. The Brooklyn Bridge is without question a treasured historical landmark of New York and of man’s ingenuity to succeed.  

Americans had been talking about a possible bridge over the East River that separated New York City from Brooklyn “for nearly as long as anyone could recall…the idea for a bridge was exactly as old as the century, the first serious proposal having been recorded in Brooklyn in 1800.” (pg. 24) This proposed bridge, like countless other wished-for bridges of just about every make and size was never even started. The reason was as plain as the geography the bridge would encompass. The East River was “one of the most turbulent and…one of the busiest stretches of navigable salt water anywhere on earth.” (pg. 24) So any bridge would have to arch all the way across the river and be high enough to allow the tall massed sailing ships of the day to pass unobstructed. For the technology of the day, a bridge of this magnitude was just unimaginable!

If a bridge was ever completed between Brooklyn and New York the two cities would essentially become one. This was considered a good thing because the Union Pacific Railroad was going to make New York “the commercial emporium of the world” (pg. 26) linking east to West. A bridge here at this important spot would special. “It was to be one of history’s great connecting works, symbolic of a new age, like the Atlantic cable, the Suez Canal, and the transcontinental railroad.” (pg. 27) John Roebling, the man who would design the eventual bridge actually saw his work as being “the greatest engineering work of the continent, and of the age.” (pg. 27) But many were against the bridge proposal. Ideas such as dams and tunnels were proposed as better alternatives. Many engineers claimed that Roebling’s bridge was too costly and just “a wild experiment” (pg. 28) as well as questioning why only one engineer had been considered. Regardless, any bridge crossing the East River would have to be one of the greatest engineering feats of all time.

At the time that the Brooklyn Bridge was in the planning stage, many suspension bridges had been constructed throughout the United States and in Europe. But none was as ambitious in both the scope and size as the one Roebling intended to build. This bridge was going to be the longest and widest suspension bridge in the world. However, it was still very much up in the air as to whether Roebling’s “experimental” design and new type of bridge construction would be sufficient. The Bridge construction began in phases of construction that the public could not really see. The caissons that were used to prepare and build the supports for towers for the bridge were completed under water.

Many bridges had been built over many different rivers before the Brooklyn Bridge. But the architectural design and engineering of the bridge is the facet that makes it simply that much greater than all others in throughout the world. In its time, the Brooklyn Bridge was without question the most magnificent designed and built bridge anywhere.  This bridge was not the first suspension bridge or the first to use caissons to dig out the earth under a river. What made this bridge so impressive was the age in which it was constructed and the technologies available to build it. The immense size of the project was incredible. Roebling not only used, but often developed different innovative techniques in order to insure that the bridge would be strong, safe, and last for many years. But this bridge connecting Brooklyn and New York was to be more complicated and complex than any ever built. As the towers began to take shape, a common feeling was that they “would be the greatest structure in the world except for the Pyramids.” (pg. 232)  And The Brooklyn Eagle, a newspaper who strongly supported building the bridge stated:

“The most famous cathedrals and castles of the historic Old World are but pygmies by the side of this great Brooklyn tower. And it is our own city which is to be forever famous for possessing this greatest architectural and engineering work of the continent, and of the age.” (pg. 246)

Any technological breakthrough is a feat that should be celebrated. The Brooklyn Bridge was opened on May 24, 1883 to extreme excitement and fanfare. However, there were other technological advances during the time period in which the Brooklyn Bridge was constructed. Three major breakthroughs deserve mention as comparable in impact. The transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, Alexander Graham Bell made the world’s first telephone call in 1876, and the electric light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison in 1879. Each of these will have a major impact on America and the world just as the Brooklyn Bridge had on bridge building, transportation, and America.

The transcontinental railroad connected the American East to the West. This led directly to a quicker movement of people and goods. Now farmers, ranchers, miners, and other businesses in the nation’s interior could easily move product to market and this led to westward migration and an industrial boom. As people migrated west cities grew and the frontier was soon to be closed. The electric light changed American lifestyles and industry. Americans no longer needed candles, kerosene lamp, or the sun for light at night. Businesses could now be opened longer hours, people could change their hours and stay up longer, and American culture would never be the same. Telephones made communication easier, more efficient, and in a way, almost instantaneous. People could now keep up with friends and family and better business communications would led to even more growth.

But the Brooklyn Bridge was a tower of majestic wonder overlooking the greatest city in America. The words used most often in its dedication ceremonies were “Science,” “Commerce,” and Courage.” (pg. 534) These are words that still ring true today. The bridge was a marvel of technology and innovation. It changed the way bridges were thought of and constructed. The ability to carry over 150,300 people and 1,800 vehicles across it on its opening day made it “The Eighth Wonder of the World.” (pg. 543) Although it may not have had the same impact on America and the world as other technological breakthroughs such as the light bulb and telephone, it still stands tall and impressive as a working model of American ingenuity 127 years later.  The Brooklyn Bridge is a treasured national symbol of American art, architecture, innovation, dominance, power, determination, and the fact “that we had come to stay.” (pg. 550)