Tilinois

a State of the American Republic, was formed from the Northwest Territory, which was organized in 1787. The State was originally a po e ion of France, who surrendered her claims to England in 1763. The first settlement was a mi ion at Kaskaskia, founded by Marquette in 1675. In 1679 La Salle built Fort Crévecceur, and in 1682 established a colony at Cahokia, and in 1700 Kaskaskia was founded. George Rogers Clark, with a Virginia force, seized Cahokia and Kaskaskia in 1778, and Illinois was made a county of Virginia. March 1, 1784, Virginia surrendered her claim over Illinois to the United States. In 1809 it was erected into a territory comprising the present States of Illinois, Wisconsin and part of Michigan. December 3, 1818, Illinois with its present boundaries became a State. The Black Hawk War broke out in 1832. Rev. Elijah P. Lovejoy was murdered by a mob at Alton because of his attempt to publish an anti-slavery newspaper in 1837. From 1840 to 1844 the Mormons caused excitement which led to the death at the hands of a mob of two of their leaders and the emigration of the sect from the State. The southern part of the State has usually been Democratic, the northern part Anti-Democratic. Down to 1860 the vote of Illinois was invariably Democratic in Presidential elections. Including and since that time it has been Republican until 1892, when it was Democratic. In 1858 Lincoln and Douglas canva ed the State together for election to the U. S. Senate. Douglas won. In 1877 David Davis, an Independent, was elected to the Senate by Democrats and Independents. The present Constitution was made in 1870. The population of Illinois in 1818 was 34,620, in 1900 it was 4,821,550. 352