History of Illinois

Preface

It is important that every American citizen should know the history of his state as well as the history of his country. This knowledge of state history can best be acquired in the pul)lic schools, and it is primarily to furnish a convenient and comprehensive text for the schools of the Prairie State that the authors have prepared this History of Illinois.

It is believed that teachers who use the book will be able to make the study of Illinois history more interesting and instructive if they correlate it with the history of the United States, using the history of the nation as a background for the study of state history. It will be easy to show pupils how the state history fits into the story of the nation, especially in chapters of state history on such subjects as Joliet and Marquette, La Salle, George Rogers Clark, The French and Indian War, Slavery in Illinois, Railroads, Lincoln-Douglas Debates, and Outbreak of the Civil War.

If the school library contains books treating of the particular topics where the state history and national history meet, the plan of correlating the two subjects should include references for outside reading. There are many such books, among which the following will be found particularly helpful: Parkman's La Salle, and The Jesuits in North America, Baldwin's Discovery of the Old Northwest, and The Conquest of the Old Northwest (for young people), Hins-

4 PREFACE

dale's The Old Northwest, Thwaites's How George Rogers Clark Won the Northwest, Wilson's The Slave Power in America, Linn's Story of the Mormons, Warman's Story of the Railroad, Johnson's Life of Douglas, Nicolay's or Tarbell's Life of Lincoln, Baldwin's Abraham Lincoln (for young people), Grant's Memoirs, Macy's or Woodburn's History of Political Parties, Johnston's History of American Politics, Fiske's The Mississippi Valley in the Civil War, and Hosmer's History of the Mississippi Valley. The bibliography found in the Appendix is intended for those who wish to pursue the stud}^ of Illinois history further than is provided for in the text. It would be well if the school libraries were provided with copies of the more important state publications, such as the Blue Book, the reports of the State Historical Society, the session laws of the general assembly, and the annual reports of the Farmers' Institute, the Geological Survey, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and other officers.

In the preparation of this book the authors have endeavored to keep in mind not only the needs of teachers and pupils, but those of the general reader as well. As a convenient book of reference, also, they venture to hope that the History of Hlinois may commend itself to librarians.

The thanks of the authors are due to Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber, Secretary of the State Historical Society, and to Mr. Hugh R. Moffet and Mr. Rufus H. Scott of Monmouth, for use of illustrative material.

Contents

CHAPTER PAGE

I. Introduction 7

II. Mound Builders and Indians 13