Illinois located in the former Northwest Territory received
Its name was given by the state's French explorers after the indigenous Illiniwek
people, a consortium of Algonquin tribes that thrived in the
area. The word Illiniwek means simply "the people."
Cahokia, the urban center of the pre-Columbian Mississippian
culture, was located near present-day Collinsville, Illinois.
That civilization vanished circa 1400–1500 for unknown
reasons. The next major power in the region was the Illiniwek
Confederation or Illini, a political alliance among several
tribes. The Illiniwek gave Illinois its name. The Illini
suffered in the seventeenth century as Iroquois expansion
forced them to compete with several tribes for land. The
Illini were replaced in Illinois by the Potawatomi, Miami,
Sauk, and other tribes.
French explorers Jacques Marquette, S.J., and Louis Joliet
explored the Illinois River in 1673. As a result of their
exploration, Illinois was part of the French empire until
1763, when it passed to the British as a result of the French
and Indian War. The area was ceded to the new United
States in 1783 and became part of the Northwest Territory.The Illinois-Wabash Company was an early claimant to much of
Illinois. The Illinois Territory was created on February 3,
1809. In 1818, Illinois became the 21st U.S. state. Early U.S.
settlement began in the south part of the state and quickly
spread northward, driving out the native residents. With the
1832 Black Hawk War, the last native tribes were driven out of
northern Illinois.
The winter of 1830-1831 is called the "Winter of the Deep
Snow". A sudden, deep snowfall blanketed the state, making
travel impossible for the rest of the winter. Travelers lucky
enough to find shelter had to stay where they were. Many
others perished. Several severe winters followed, including
the "Winter of the Sudden Freeze". On December 20, 1836, a
fast-moving cold front passed through, freezing puddles in
minutes, killing many travelers who could not reach shelter.
The adverse weather resulted in crop failures in the northern
part of the state. The southern part of the state shipped food
north and this may have contributed to its name: "Egypt",
after the Biblical story of Joseph in Egypt supplying grain to
his brothers.
Illinois is known as the "Land of Lincoln" because it is here
that the 16th President spent most of his life, practicing law
and living in Springfield.Chicago gained prominence as a Great Lakes port and then as a
canal port after 1848, and as a rail hub soon afterward. By
1857, Chicago was Illinois' largest city.
