Travel Oracles 50 States: Illinois
As part of my summer series - Travel Oracles 50 States - I am revisiting each os the fifty American states as an overview on travel culture and history. Today: Illinois
Joined: Illinois became the 21st state in 1818. During the civil war, Illinois contributed 250,000 soldiers to the Union Army, ranking it fourth in terms of the total manpower in Federal military service.
Original Indigenous Peoples: The most prominent tribes in Illinois were the Illinois, Miami, Winnebago, Fox and Sacs (Sauk), Kickapoo, and Pottawatomie tribes. The Illinois Native Americans were composed of five subdivisions including Kaskaskias, Cahokias, Tamaroas, Peorias, and Metchigamis
First Settlers: In 1673, French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet were the first Europeans to arrive in Illinois. They traveled along the Mississippi and the Illinois River making contact with the local Native American tribes.
History moment: Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States and leader who preserved the Union from dissolution in the Civil War, began his political career in the state. General Ulysses S. Grant served in the Union Army for Illinois & became the 18th president. Former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama (born in) both earned their law degrees & began their career there. Illinois is also known for its abolition of slavery, its role in the Underground Railroad, and its contributions to the American automotive industry. The City of Chicago had quite a reputation during prohibition, in which mobsters like Al Capone made millions from bootlegging, and incidents like The Black Sox Scandal, a Major League Baseball game-fixing scandal in which eight members of the Chicago White Sox were accused of throwing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for money from a gambling syndicate led by Arnold Rothstein.
Known for: The Prairie State or the Land of Lincoln, the great city of Chicago, John Hughes movie settings, Prohibition bootlegging, White sox scandal, The Obamas
Places: Chicago (and many more, but this is the main focus here given its significance)
Movie setting: Chicago (movie & musical), Blues Brothers, Untouchables, The Sting, Eight Men Out, A League of their Own, Public Enemies, and all of the John Hughes movies like Ferris Bueller’s Day off, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Home Alone
Musicians from: Ramsey Lewis, Chicago, Styx, Earth, Wind and Fire, Cheap Trick, Wilco, Smashing Pumpkins, Kanye West
Surprising facts: The Sears Tower in Chicago is the tallest building in America, Illinois was the first state in the U.S. to ratify the Constitution's 13th amendment which abolished slavery, The first McDonald's was built in Des Plaines, IL and it produces more nuclear energy than any other state in the country.
Home to Chicago and therefore the de-facto capital of culture for the Midwest, Illinois is much more than its most famous city. Yes, of course, many visitors flock here for the Windy City and its art museums, architecture, blues clubs, comedy shows, and deep-dish pizza, but the rest of the state offers plenty in terms of history, culture, and the great outdoors. Explore the charms of smaller towns like Galena and Evanston, see the houses designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Oak Park, and learn what makes this the "Land of Lincoln" in Springfield. Let’s travel to Illinois
My Experience: Chicago is always a fun city to visit, which I used to do when I live in NYC, and it has an excellent art, music, sports and food scene. Just don’t go in the winter!
Chicago: Chicago is a city with an appetite—for food, of course, but also for design, history, and culture. Come here to marvel at the cutting-edge architecture or take in the gorgeous views of Lake Michigan; to spend a day cheering with baseball fans and a night laughing at a comedy show; to shop, to visit renowned institutions like the Field Museum and the Adler Planetarium, and to experience the legendary blues scene. To do all this, you'll need nourishment: taste deep-dish pizza, piled-high hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, and more. Visit the Chicago Tourism website to get started
Nature: There are no national parks in Illinois but the Parks Service operates the federally owned 12-acre (49,000 m2) Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, Illinois and the Pullman National Monument in Chicago
Ranking in US: Per the annual US News report, Illinois is currently ranked #30 out of 50 in 2021, up from #35 in 2019.