200 Years Ago, Illinois Took Step to Statehood

CHICAGOLAWBULLETIN.COM MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2017

Volume 163, No. 235 Serving Chicago’s legal community for 162 years

200 years ago, Illinois took step to statehood

xactly two centuries Illinois in 1818? The population of committee to draft an applica - ago, in November and Illinois was growing fast and the LAW AND tion to Congress to admit Illinois December 1817, the Illi - rate of acceleration increased as a state. On Dec. 6, the House nois Territory began a after the War of 1812 ended in PUBLIC ISSUES resolved that “this territory be campaign to become 1815. Illinois had fertile land, at admitted as a state, with all the Ethe 21st state. least in the southern woodlands. rights and privileges of a state The southernmost third of the There were fruit orchards, small government.” territory was occupied by mainly homestead farms and even On Dec. 10, the Senate ap - white settlers, the majority near mines. ANN M. proved the resolution, which also the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Rivers crossing the state pro - estimated the population at Settlers were often emigrants vided transportation from Lake LOUSIN 40,000 (clearly an exaggeration) from Virginia and the Border Michigan to the Mississippi and and asked that Congress give fi - States, especially Kentucky. Ohio Rivers. nancial aid to the new state “in After Illinois broke off from Indi - On the other hand, there were Ann M. Lousin has been a professor at the form of a percentage of pro - ana Territory in 1809, it gained a few white settlers in the prairies The John Marshall Law School since ceeds from land sales.” measure of self-government. covering the central and north - 1975. Before then, she was a research Edwards approved the peti - (See my column “ … and be ern parts of the state. It was as - assistant at the 1969-1970 Illinois tion. Apparently, there was no called Illinois,” Feb. 26, 2009, in sumed that nothing could grow constitutional convention and opposition to statehood among the Law Bulletin.) on the prairies. There was a parliamentarian of the Illinois House of Illinois politicians. However, the territorial gover - trading post at the mouth of the Representatives. Her treatise “The The application for statehood nor, Ninian Edwards, a native Chicago River at Lake Michigan. Illinois State Constitution: A Reference moved quickly. Cook and Ed - Virginian, was a presidential ap - Although Fort Dearborn, Guide” was published in December wards acted in concert and per - 2009. She can be contacted at pointee. He held an absolute veto which guarded the post, was [email protected]. suaded other Illinoisans that the over bills passed by the territori - burned on Aug. 15, 1812, the Army time for statehood was ripe. al legislature, whose members had rebuilt the fort in 1816. There They must have known that were elected by residents of the was no reason to believe that the his move. On Nov. 20, 1817, a col - Pope, Edwards’ cousin, also fa - territory. settlement would ever be more umn appeared in the newspaper vored statehood. Land claims were often in dis - than a trading post and port. calling for a “discussion” of ap - Later, in 1821, Cook, who was pute, especially purchases from Cook was a nephew of the Illi - plying for statehood. The Nov. 27 Pope’s nephew, married Ed - old French settlers and Native nois delegate to Congress, issue denounced the powers of wards’ daughter. Together, the Illinoisans. As a result, there Nathaniel Pope. Cook was also the governor and argued that Illi - three men — Pope, Cook and Ed - were regular armed conflicts be - clerk of the territorial legislature’s noisans were mature enough to wards — would lead the cam - tween the tribes and the territo - paign for statehood. Clearly, rial militia. from the beginning, a political Nathaniel Pope, a native Ken - On Dec. 10, (1817), the Senate approved motto of Illinois has been all in tuckian and a cousin of Ed - the resolution, which also estimated the the family. wards, was the Illinois territorial What was Pope’s reaction delegate to Congress. Pursuant population at 40,000 (clearly an exaggeration) when he received the petition ap - to federal law, Congress substan - plying for statehood in Washing - tially governed the territory and asked that Congress give financial aid to ton, D.C., in January 1818? After from afar. the new state “in the form of a percentage all, he had not been part of the One newcomer from Kentucky, campaign in Illinois a month ear - Daniel Pope Cook, who was 23 in of proceeds from land sales.” lier. What did Pope do? 1817, saw an opportunity to ad - That part of the story must vance the cause of Illinois and his House of Representatives, a posi - assume the responsibilities of wait for the second in this series own career. He must have known tion that allowed him to influ - statehood. of columns on the Illinois Bicen - that Congress had begun admit - ence legislation. He was also On Dec. 2, 1817, Edwards pro - tennial, which should appear reg - ting new states in pairs: one free part-owner of the only Illinois posed to the House that a census ularly during the next year. soil state, one slave state. newspaper, the Western Intelli - be taken “preparatory” to apply - — The author thanks Victor M. Indiana was admitted in 1816, gencer. ing for statehood. The House Salas and Jerome B. Meites for then Mississippi in 1817. Why not In November 1817, Cook made passed a resolution creating a their assistance.