Why is the Brooklyn Bridge an important American landmark?
The Brooklyn Bridge is considered an architectural statement of the optimism of the Industrial Revolution, a period of technological development that took place during the nineteenth century. Completed in 1883, the bridge spans the East River in New York City, connecting Manhattan to Brooklyn. With a span of 1,595 feet, the Brooklyn Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time and was celebrated as a great feat of modern engineering. The structure was designed by the German-American engineer John Augustus Roebling (1806–1869), who died while it was being built. His son Washington Augustus Roebling (1837–1926) completed the project. The bridge hangs from steel cables that are almost sixteen inches thick and are suspended from stone and masonry towers that are 275 feet tall. Specially designed watertight chambers…
