What is currently known as the state of Illinois has been an area – in the Midwest of the United States – where people have lived for thousands of years. Numerous Native American peoples, such as the Illinois Confederation, as well as the Miami, Potawatomi, Kickapoo, Shawnee, Sauk, Meskwaki, and others, have lived there; although both their territory and presence have been subject to change over time.
Illinois, sitting between the Mississippi and Wabash, has had an important role when looking at the whole history of the United States.
Due to its prominent location, it has been an important center when it came to transportation, trade, agriculture, and even industry. Because of its favorable geographical characteristics, Illinois has grown into one of the most populous states in the whole country, with Chicago being its largest city and one of the most important urban centers in the whole of the United States.
But that does not mean that the area where the great state is located didn’t have a long and rich history even before the first European settlers set foot on its land.
Native Peoples and Early Illinois
As mentioned, Illinois was home to numerous Native American peoples (the Illinois Confederation, Miami, Potawatomi, Kickapoo, Shawnee, Sauk, Meskwaki).
That is because the land there is fertile and rich and, of course, because of its rivers. When we talk about archeological sites connected to that part, one of the sites that comes to mind is Cahokia, which is located near Collinsville. One of the largest urban settlements in the whole of North America, and this is even before contact with European settlers, Cahokia, at its height, had thousands of people who lived there.
| At its peak, Cahokia’s population was estimated at approx 20,000 people within a 6 square mile radius; the wider region may have had more than 50,000 people. Cahokia is described as “America’s first city”. – Illinois State Archaeological Survey |
They lived there and around the settlement, within extensive communities.
Remnants of that era provide quite a different and interesting historical look at what life used to look like.
European Exploration and Settlement
Among the first documented Europeans expeditioners who made it all the way to Illinois, in the late 17th century, were French historic voyagers Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet in 1673. They traveled through the region and explored the Mississippi.
Some of the first settlements there were Kaskaskia and Cahokia. During the expansion, the French developed trading relationships with the Native American communities, all while establishing settlements along important key points such as waterways.
This lasted until 1763, when it all ended after the French and Indian War. After that, France surrendered its territory east of the Mississippi River to Great Britain.
Illinois Becomes a State
One of the bigger changes that happened was during the American Revolution; it led to a change in control of the region. In the year 1778,
George Rogers Clark led an American expedition, and that expedition captured British settlements in the Illinois Country. When the war ended, all those parts became part of what is today known as the United States. And in time, parts of the Northwest Territory and later the Indiana Territory. Illinois achieved statehood on December 3, 1818, and on that day it became the 21st state in the United States.
| In 1818, when Illinois entered the Union, its population was just 34,620, with most residents living in southern Illinois. – Illinois Historic PreservationFrom 1818 to 1848 Illinois went from a frontier region to a settled and rapidly developing agricultural state. – Illinois Department of Natural Resources |
In its infancy, it had a small population, and most of the state was rural; however, all that worked to its advantage as time went on.
Industry and Immigration
During the late 19th century and early 20th century, Chicago had become a big industrial center, with other cities such as Rockford, Peoria, and East St. Louis had developed significant manufacturing industries.
| Chicago had 808,558 foreign-born residents in 1920, which represented approx. 29.9% of its population; 10 years earlier (1910) that percentage was even larger at 35.9% of the city’s population. – University of Illinois |
A lot of the changes that came to be in Illinois can be attributed to people who arrived from various countries across Europe, and when they arrived there, they established neighbourhoods, businesses, churches, and different cultural organizations. Agriculture, on the other hand, has remained equally important, but it has remained outside the major cities.
Most notable, when it comes to agriculture, are corn and soybeans.
This entire combination (agriculture, industry, railroads, and waterways) helped Illinois develop to the point where it stands today.
| By 1872, Illinois had more constructed railroad mileage than any other U.S. state. – University of Illinois |
Illinois in the 20th Century
During the 20th century, the state experienced a lot of changes.
Chicago, its most notable city, has become famous across the world for its architecture, finance, manufacturing, and cultural institutions. During the time of the Great Migration, a lot of different African Americans moved from the American South to Chicago and other northern cities.
This huge influx of people has greatly contributed to the change and development of its cultural, political, and economic life. During this change, Illinois has also experienced a lot of changes when it comes to politics and legality.
For example, modern discussions about clergy abuse claims in Illinois are part of this rapidly changing attitude toward institutions because people lost trust. These types of events also affected the way legality goes about these issues while protecting individual rights of its people.
Conclusion
In conclusion, geography played a big role in the development of Illinois;
its rivers, fertile plains, and access to the Great Lakes are all part of it. Once a small rural area, it has grown into a large metropolitan hub.
All the way from ancient Cahokia to the big city of Chicago, both growth and enormous changes have been seen throughout the years.
All that makes Illinois an extremely important, a foundational, part of the broader (hi)story of the United States.