Illinois State Guide
Related Resources
Folklife in Your State: Illinois
The collections of the American Folklife Center contain
rich and varied materials from Illinois that document
the diversity of the state's folk traditions. Among its
unique recordings are blues, dance, and Lithuanian music
from Southern Illinois. Illinois's
Local Legacies Projects, an exploration of local traditions
and celebrations is available on the Center's Web page.
America's Library is especially designed for kids and their
families. The site contains rare and sometimes unusual items
from the collections of the Library of Congress.
Explore
the States: State of Illinois
Jump
Back in Time: Illinois Entered the Union as the 21st State,
December 3, 1818
Chronicling America
This site allows you to search and view newspaper pages from 1836-1922 from more than 20 states and the District of Columbia. Search this collection to find selected newspaper articles that mention events in Illinois.
American
Treasures at the Library of Congress: Lincoln at Springfield
(Memory)
Contains Harper’s Weekly artist William Waud’s
sketches of Lincoln’s coffin on view in Springfield
and Cleveland, Illinois.
Bibliographies and Guides
U.S. State
Poets Laureate
This site provides the names of all current state poets
laureate of the United States. It also includes a history
of the laureateship in each state, as well the District
of Columbia, and attempts to provide a comprehensive listing
of all prior state poets laureate. Included is information on the position of State Poet Laureate in Illinois.
The Guide
to Law Online
Guide to Law Online, prepared by the Law Library of
Congress Public Services Division, is an annotated guide
to sources of information on government and law available
online. It includes selected links to useful and reliable
sites for legal information on U.S states and territories,
including Illinois.
Frank
Lloyd Wright Buildings Recorded by the Historic American
Buildings Survey
This collection contains images of structures identified
as the work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Click on
“Illinois”
to view images of the Robie House, Unity Temple and other
noteable Frank Lloyd Wright structures in the state of
Illinois.
Prints
and Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC)
Search PPOC using the subject heading United
States--Illinois to find digital images related to
Illinois, such as prints, photographs, and political cartoons. Search in PPOC using the term Illinois or names of cities, towns, and sites to locate additional images.
Primary Sources by State
The Library of Congress has rich documents and artifacts
from every state, the U.S. territories, and the District
of Columbia. Click on Illinois
to view historic artifacts and cultural materials from
the state.
Creating a Primary Source Archive: All History Is Local
Examine the interplay between national,
state, local, and personal history. Students produce a
digital collection of primary sources from their family
or local community based on the collections in American
Memory.
Exploring Community Through Local History: Oral Stories, Landmarks and Traditions
Students explore the local history of the community in which they live through written and spoken stories; through landmarks such as buildings, parks, restaurants, or businesses; and through traditions such as food, festivals and other events of the community or of individual families.
Local History: Mapping My Spot
Students create their town’s history for coming generations and place themselves on the map in a literal as well as figurative sense, by producing portions of an updated version of an early twentieth century panoramic map from the American Memory collections.
January
16
On January 16, 1896, Henry F. Kallenberg, an instructor
of physical education at the University
of Iowa, welcomed Amos
Alonzo Stagg, athletic director at the recently founded
University
of Chicago, to Iowa
City for an experimental game in a new sport. The
contest, refereed by Kallenberg, was the first unofficial
college basketball game played with five players on each
side. The University of Chicago won by a score of 15 to
12.
March
21
Legendary showman Florenz
Ziegfeld Jr., impresario behind what became known
as the Ziegfeld Follies, was born on March 21, 1869 (possibly
1867), in Chicago, Illinois.
May
7
Archibald MacLeish, poet, dramatist, and ninth Librarian
of Congress, was born on May 7, 1892, in Glencoe, Illinois.
May
27
Frontiersman, lawman, army scout, gambler, and legendary
marksman James
Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok was born on May
27, 1837, in Troy Grove, Illinois. As a youth, Hickok
became acquainted with the risks incurred by those willing
to take a stand against slavery. His father frequently
assisted escaped slaves as they made their way north through
Illinois and young Hickok joined in the adventure. Hickok
left home in 1856, moved to Kansas to farm, and became
involved in the Free
State movement.
June
23
Robert Louis "Bob" Fosse was born in Chicago,
Illinois, on June 23, 1927. Over the course of an almost
fifty-year career as a performer, director, and writer,
Fosse emerged as one of the finest choreographers to work
in American musical film and theater.
July
21
On July 21, 1899, Ernest Hemingway was born in Oak
Park, Illinois. During Hemingway's boyhood, his family
spent much time enjoying hunting and other sports. The
love for the great outdoors and the physically active
life his father instilled in him remained with Hemingway
for the rest of his life.
September
6
Social reformer and pacifist Jane Addams was born on
September 6, 1860 in Cedarville, Illinois. In 1889, Addams
and her traveling companion Ellen Gates Starr, purchased
a large vacant residence, the former Hull mansion, on
Chicago's industrial west side and opened their doors
to the neighboring, mostly immigrant, community. Starr
and Addams's Hull
House initially provided welfare assistance to needy
families and recreation facilities for slum children.
Today, Hull House continues to build on the enduring vision
of Jane Addams through a rich array of services serving
several hundred thousand people in Chicago.
November
7
On November 7, 1837, Elijah Parish Lovejoy was killed
by a pro-slavery mob while defending the site of his anti-slavery
newspaper in Alton, Illinois, The Saint Louis Observer.
His death both deeply affected many individuals who opposed
slavery and greatly strengthened the cause of abolition.
November
28
The first American automobile race took place at 8:55
a.m. on November 28, 1895, when six "motocycles"
left Chicago's Jackson Park for a 54 mile race to Evanston,
Illinois and back through the snow.
December
2
At 3:25 P.M. on December 2, 1942, the Atomic Age began
inside an enormous tent on a squash court under the stands
of the University of Chicago's Stagg
Field. There, scientists headed by Enrico Fermi engineered
the first controlled nuclear fission chain reaction. The
result, sustainable nuclear energy, led to creation of
the atomic bomb and nuclear power plants—two of
the twentieth century's most powerful and controversial
achievements.
December
3
Illinois entered
the Union on December 3, 1818. The 21st state takes its
name from the Illinois Confederation—a group of
Algonquian-speaking tribes native to the area. An Algonquin
word, "Illinois" means "tribe of superior
men."
Veterans
History Project Home Page
The Veterans History Project (VHP) collects and preserves
the remembrances of American war veterans and civilian
workers who supported them. Browse the database by state
of residence to locate veterans from Illinois.
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