Roller coasters were initially introduced to American society in the eighteen eighties as a morally upright distraction designed to keep people away from the sinful temptations of saloons and brothels.

A closer look

Roller coasters were initially introduced to American society in the eighteen eighties as a morally upright distraction designed to keep people away from the sinful temptations of saloons and brothels. A deeply religious businessman named LaMarcus Adna Thompson built the first switchback railway in Coney Island because he was genuinely disgusted by the rampant drinking and gambling that consumed the working class. He figured that plunging down a terrifying wooden track at ten miles per hour would somehow cleanse their souls and provide a wholesome, family-friendly thrill. It is incredibly funny that the modern amusement park industry, which is now famous for price-gouging, heatstroke, and crying children, was originally founded on the pious idea of saving humanity from its own basic desires