Before the arrival of Europeans in America, the state of Illinois was inhabited by Native Americans. Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet, two French explorers, explored the Illinois River in 1673. The state was part of the French Empire until 1763.
Nineteenth Century
Illinois became the 21st American state in 1818. The capital of the state was Kaskaskia. Vandalia became the capital in 1819. Apparently a "free state", Illinois did practice slavery. And even though slavery was nominally banned, the ban was never enforced.
The French owned black slaves as late as 1820s. In 1832, the Black Hawk War was fought between the United States and the native Americans, headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk Leader. The Indians were defeated and forced back to Iowa.
Over 250,000 Illinois men served in the Union Army during the American Civil war. The most popular soldier was Ulysses S. Grant of Galena. The Illinois troops fought mostly in the Western Theatre, although a handful of regiments played a crucial role in the East, particularly in the Army of Potomac. Chicago became popular as a Great Lakes port and then as an Illinois and Michigan Canal port.
Twentieth Century
During the 20th century, Illinois emerged as one of the most important states in the Union. The total population of the state had reached nearly 5 million. Today it has the fifth-largest population and is the third-largest state in United States of America.
In 1933, Chicago hosted the Century of Progress World's Fair. In 1939, the state ranked fourth in United States oil production. During the first half of the century, University of Chicago performed the first sustained nuclear chain reaction as part of the Manhattan Project. The fourth constitution of the state was adopted in 1970 which replaced the 1870 document.
Chicago was devastated by the Great Flood of 1993. It occurred in the American Midwest, along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. It was the most costly and destructive flood to ever occur in the United States.
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