Today in History: Illinois

Illinois: A descriptive and historical guide
Today in History—December 3—the Library of Congress features Illinois, which entered the Union as the 21st state on this day in 1818. Illinois is an Algonquin word meaning “tribe of superior men”; today the state is referred to as the Land of Lincoln and is one of the most populous of all the United States. Learn more about this midwestern hub by visiting the Today in History section, then gather more insights by delving into thousands of Illinois primary sources.

Illinois stories from America’s Library

Illinois primary source set with Teacher’s Guide

Illinois images

Illinois maps

WPA Life Histories from Illinois

Illinois sheet music

Illinois song recording

Illinois: Three Centuries of Broadsides and Other Printed Ephemera

Illinois books & articles

Illinois historical newspapers

Illinois legislation

Illinois Guide to Law Online

Guided Primary Source Analysis: Poor Illinois! learning activity

Illinois Civil War Resources

Chicago primary source collections

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