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Late 19th Century - Government

Pre-Statehood Era: 1700-1818

Early Statehood: 1818-1861

Civil War Era: 1861-1865

Late 19th Century: 1866-1900

Early 20th Century: 1900-1914

World War I: 1914-1918

Roaring Twenties: 1918-1929

Great Depression: 1930-1941

World War II: 1941-1945

Cold War Era: 1946-1991

Millennium: 1991-Present

Lesson Plans

Resources

Crime and Punishment

Law Concerning Criminal Jurisprudence, 1874

  • This very extensive act covered everything from crimes and penalties to the calling of a grand jury; it was approved on March 27th, 1874. Crimes discussed within: abduction, burglary, dueling, extortion, murder, circulating obscene literature, and rape.

  • Citation: Gross, William L., ed. The Statutes of Illinois: An Analytical Compilation of All the General Laws of the State in Force at the Present Time, Volume III: Acts of 1873-4. Cambridge, MA: Riverside Press, H. O. Houghton & Company, 1874. 116-176.

Law Concerning Fraud and Perjury, 1874

  • This act covered everything from identity theft to fraudulent documentation. It was passed on February 16th, 1874.

  • Citation: Gross, William L., ed. The Statutes of Illinois: An Analytical Compilation of All the General Laws of the State in Force at the Present Time, Volume III: Acts of 1873-4. Cambridge, MA: Riverside Press, H. O. Houghton & Company, 1874. 210-212.

Law Concerning Habaes Corpus, 1874 

  • This act guaranteed the right of Habeas Corpus for anyone imprisoned in the state of Illinois. It was passed on March 2nd, 1874. During the Civil War and Reconstruction eras, the right of habeas corpus was in question. On April 27th, 1861, President Lincoln suspended habeas corpus in Maryland and several Midwestern states during the Civil War. In the early 1870s, President Grant also suspended it as part of the federal government’s legal action against the Ku Klux Klan in South Carolina.

  • Citation: Gross, William L., ed. The Statutes of Illinois: An Analytical Compilation of All the General Laws of the State in Force at the Present Time, Volume III: Acts of 1873-4. Cambridge, MA: Riverside Press, H. O. Houghton & Company, 1874. 220-225.

Philanthropy and Government Aid

Overseer of the Poor Claim, Alexander County, 1866 / Transcription

  • This document covers the diet of the poor in almshouses in Alexander County. Note from the teaching package: "Do. stands for ditto".

  • Citation: Turnbaugh, Dr. Roy C. Jr. and Robert E. Bailey. Windows to the Past: A Selection of Illinois County Records from 1818 to 1880. Springfield: Illinois State Archives, 1985. Document 29. Used by permission of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

Sketch of a Proposed Public Bathing House, July 17th, 1873

  • This proposed bathing house was a public service for poorer communities that had no access to bathing facilities and worked labor jobs.

  • Citation: Bailey, Robert E. and Elaine Shemoney Evans. From the Ashes, 1872-1900 A Selection of Documents from the Proceedings Files of the Chicago City Council. Springfield: Illinois State Archives, 1990. Document 4. Used by permission of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Accessed on 11/19/2016. https://cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/teaching_packages/from_the_ashes/doc4.html

Petition from the Woman's Christian Association to Remit Water Taxes for their Boarding House, February 12th, 1883 / Typed Transcription

  • Letter to the Chicago city council to request a reprieve from water tax on two houses that sheltered poor women seeking work.

  • Citation: Bailey, Robert E. and Elaine Shemoney Evans. From the Ashes, 1872-1900 A Selection of Documents from the Proceedings Files of the Chicago City Council. Springfield: Illinois State Archives, 1990. Document 23. Used by permission of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Accessed on 11/19/2016. https://cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/teaching_packages/from_the_ashes/doc23.html

Resolution to Provide for Disabled Policemen, May 10th, 1886/ Transcription

  • During the Haymarket Square riot on May 4th, 1886, a bombing killed and injured many police officers. This resolution provides a pension for the victims of the bombings who could not return to work.

  • Citation: Bailey, Robert E. and Elaine Shemoney Evans. From the Ashes, 1872-1900 A Selection of Documents from the Proceedings Files of the Chicago City Council. Springfield: Illinois State Archives, 1990. Document 28. Used by permission of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Accessed on 11/19/2016. https://cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/teaching_packages/from_the_ashes/doc28.html

Petition of Catherine Svaneck for Compensation for the Death of her Son, May 17th, 1886 / Transcription

  • The petitioner, Catherine Svaneck, lost her son in a conflict between strikers and police at the McCormick Harvesting Machine Factory on May 3rd, 1886. The council would later determine the city was not liable for damages.

  • Citation: Bailey, Robert E. and Elaine Shemoney Evans. From the Ashes, 1872-1900 A Selection of Documents from the Proceedings Files of the Chicago City Council. Springfield: Illinois State Archives, 1990. Document 29. Used by permission of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Accessed on 11/19/2016. https://cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/teaching_packages/from_the_ashes/doc29.html

Communication from the Illinois Woman's Alliance Concerning Bathing Houses, January 19th, 1891 / Transcription

Resolution Requesting the Mayor to Appeal to the People on Behalf of the Workmen at Pullman, June 4th, 1894 / Transcription

  • This resolution requests that the mayor present an appeal for the workers of the Pullman Palace Car Company. Though the company was on strike, according to the resolution, there were no arrests or disturbances for the three weeks up to that point.

  • Citation: Bailey, Robert E. and Elaine Shemoney Evans. From the Ashes, 1872-1900 A Selection of Documents from the Proceedings Files of the Chicago City Council. Springfield: Illinois State Archives, 1990. Document 41. Used by permission of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Accessed on 11/19/2016. https://cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/teaching_packages/from_the_ashes/doc41.html

Panic of 1893

Communication from the Commander of G.A.R. Post No. 5 Notifying the City Clerk of the Post's Intention to Undertake the Relief of Indigent Veterans, July 8th, 1895 / Transcription

  • This communication from the G.A.R. informs the county clerk that the post will be assisting poor veterans during the depression following the Panic of 1893. 

  • Citation: Bailey, Robert E. and Elaine Shemoney Evans. From the Ashes, 1872-1900 A Selection of Documents from the Proceedings Files of the Chicago City Council. Springfield: Illinois State Archives, 1990. Document 44. Used by permission of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Accessed on 11/19/2016. https://cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/teaching_packages/from_the_ashes/doc44.html

Ordinance for Relief of the Needy and Suffering Poor, December 14th, 1896 / Transcription

  • This ordinance provided for depots and supplies for the poor of Chicago during the winter months. The poor population of Chicago grew after the Panic of 1893.

  • Citation: Bailey, Robert E. and Elaine Shemoney Evans. From the Ashes, 1872-1900 A Selection of Documents from the Proceedings Files of the Chicago City Council. Springfield: Illinois State Archives, 1990. Document 47. Used by permission of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Accessed on 11/19/2016. https://cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/teaching_packages/from_the_ashes/doc47.html

Public Health and Safety

Sketch of a Proposed Public Bathing House, July 17th, 1873

  • See Philanthropy and Public Aid Section

Resolution to Investigate a Cigar Factory, March 1st, 1880 / Transcription

  • This resolution to the health commission to investigate a cigar factory for health violations. The notes in the original section note that, despite the resolution, the factory passed inspection.

  • Citation: Bailey, Robert E. and Elaine Shemoney Evans. From the Ashes, 1872-1900 A Selection of Documents from the Proceedings Files of the Chicago City Council. Springfield: Illinois State Archives, 1990. Document 16. Used by permission of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. https://cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/teaching_packages/from_the_ashes/doc16.html

Law That Promotes the Science of Medicine and Surgery through Dissection, 1874

  • This act promotes the dissection of human remains in the study of surgery; it was approved on February 16th, 1874. It regulates the proper procedure for disposal and any penalties for violating its requirements.

  • Citation: Gross, William L., ed. The Statutes of Illinois: An Analytical Compilation of All the General Laws of the State in Force at the Present Time, Volume III: Acts of 1873-4. Cambridge, MA: Riverside Press, H. O. Houghton & Company, 1874. 175-176.

Physician’s Certificate, Effingham County, 1877 / Transcription

  • "In 1877, a state law required doctors to be licensed by the State Board of Health. To receive this certification, a doctor had to be a graduate of a medical school or pass an examination that was given by the Board. These certificates then had to be kept on file in the county where the doctor was practicing medicine."

  • Citation: Turnbaugh, Dr. Roy C. Jr. and Robert E. Bailey. Windows to the Past: A Selection of Illinois County Records from 1818 to 1880. Springfield: Illinois State Archives, 1985. Document 34. Used by permission of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

Communication from the State Board of Health Concerning Pollution of the Chicago River, Illinois and Michigan Canal and the Illinois River, January 10th, 1880 / Transcription

  • This communication discusses pollution issues with the canals caused by the removal of pumps at Bridgeport, and suggests replacing those removed.

  • Citation: Bailey, Robert E. and Elaine Shemoney Evans. From the Ashes, 1872-1900 A Selection of Documents from the Proceedings Files of the Chicago City Council. Springfield: Illinois State Archives, 1990. Document 15. Used by permission of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Accessed on 11/19/2016. https://cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/teaching_packages/from_the_ashes/doc15.html

Communication from the Illinois Woman's Alliance Concerning Child Labor, April 16th, 1890 / Transcription

  • This report requests that children who work to support their families must be over ten, and have signed reports from the Boards of Health and Education.

  • Citation: Bailey, Robert E. and Elaine Shemoney Evans. From the Ashes, 1872-1900 A Selection of Documents from the Proceedings Files of the Chicago City Council. Springfield: Illinois State Archives, 1990. Document 33. Used by permission of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Accessed on 11/19/2016. https://cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/teaching_packages/from_the_ashes/doc33.html

Communication from the Illinois Woman's Alliance Concerning Bathing Houses, January 19th, 1891 / Transcription

  • See Philanthropy and Government Aid

State and Local Government

Constitution of 1870

  • This constitution was adopted in convention on May 13th, 1870, and ratified by the people on July 2nd, 1870. It received 154,227 votes against 35,443 votes.

  • Citation: Poore, Ben Perley. The Federal and State Constitutions, Colonial Charters, and Other Organic Laws of the United States. Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1878. 470-495.

An Act to Establish a State Historical Library and Natural History Museum, May 25, 1877

  • This act created the combined State Historical Library and Natural History Museum, now separately known the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and the Illinois State Museum. Created for the housing of the collections of the Illinois Geological Survey and a Natural History Museum at the Normal School, both collections were moved to the statehouse.

  • Laws of the State of Illinois, Thirtieth General Assembly. Springfield, IL: D.W. Lusk, State Printer and Binder, 1877. 14-16.

An Act to Appropriate Funds for the Repair of the Lincoln Monument, June 13, 1887

  • The tomb of Abraham Lincoln in Oak Ridge Cemetery had fallen into disrepair by 1887. The state provided $10,000, or as much as was needed, to repair the site.

  • Laws of the State of Illinois, Thirty-Fifth Assembly. Springfield, IL: H.W. Rokker, Printer and Binder, 1887. 41.

An Act Regarding the Homestead of Abraham Lincoln, June 16, 1887

  • In 1887, Robert T. Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, gave the state the title to Abraham Lincoln's home in Springfield, IL as a public site. This act creates a board to manage and provide for the upkeep of the site in perpetuity. 

  • Laws of the State of Illinois, Thirty-Fifth Assembly. Springfield, IL: H.W. Rokker, Printer and Binder, 1887. 39-40. 

Act Creating the Illinois State Historical Library, May 25, 1889

  • While an earlier law created a historical library, (see above act, May 25, 1877), this law creates it as a separate entity and provides resources for collecting of historic materials related to Illinois. (See Early 20th Century- Government section for related law).

  • Laws of the State of Illinois, Thirty-Sixth Assembly. Springfield, IL: H.W. Rokker, Printer and Binder, 1889. 199-200.

Women May Vote at School Elections, 1891 

  • Women earned the right to vote for school officials in the state of Illinois in 1891.

  • Citation: Laws of the State of Illinois, Thirty-Seventh General Assembly. Springfield, IL: H.W. Rokker, State Printer and Binder, 1891. 135-136.

Resolution to Investigate the Civil Service Commission, January 11th, 1896 / Transcription

  • This resolution seeks to investigate the Civil Service commission for charges of unfairly prohibiting individuals from seeking public office and ignoring corruption. According to the book notes, the resolution was vetoed and did not pass.

  • Citation: Bailey, Robert E.and Elaine Shemoney Evans. From the Ashes, 1872-1900 A Selection of Documents from the Proceedings Files of the Chicago City Council. Springfield: Illinois State Archives, 1990. Document 45. Used by permission of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Accessed on 11/19/2016. https://cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/teaching_packages/from_the_ashes/doc45.html

Resolution to Recognize the Cuban Patriots as Belligerents, February 22nd, 1896 / Transcription

  • This resolution is in support of Cuban citizens in defiance of General Weyler. It resolves to request support from Congressmen of these Cuban citizens, as well as their cause and flag.

  • Citation: Bailey, Robert E.and Elaine Shemoney Evans. From the Ashes, 1872-1900 A Selection of Documents from the Proceedings Files of the Chicago City Council. Springfield: Illinois State Archives, 1990. Document 46. Used by permission of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Accessed on 11/19/2016. https://cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/teaching_packages/from_the_ashes/doc46.html

War and Military

Soldier’s Naturalization Petition, Schuyler County, 1866

  • This petition requests citizenship for a former German citizen, Peter Euler. Mr Euler moved to Illinois in March of 1861 and joined the Union army as a volunteer in 1863, serving until 1865 when he was honorably discharged. Earlier citizenship standards were lowered by Congress for immigrants who served in the war.

  • Citation: Turnbaugh, Dr. Roy C. Jr. and Robert E. Bailey. Windows to the Past: A Selection of Illinois County Records from 1818 to 1880. Springfield: Illinois State Archives, 1985. Document 28. Used by permission of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

Petition of the Ellsworth Zouaves for Compensation for Services Rendered During the Labor Riots, December 6th, 1877 / Transcription

  • This petition requests funds for the "Ellsworth Zouaves" militia for assisting in stopping labor riots in Chicago.

  • Citation: Bailey, Robert E. and Elaine Shemoney Evans. From the Ashes, 1872-1900 A Selection of Documents from the Proceedings Files of the Chicago City Council. Springfield: Illinois State Archives, 1990. Document 10. Used by permission of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Accessed on 11/19/2016. https://cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/teaching_packages/from_the_ashes/doc10.html

"The Campaign Against Vicksburg," William E. Strong, read on  April 7th, 1880

  • William Strong was a Brevet Brigadier-General in the 17th Army Corps from Chicago. He took part in the campaign against Vicksburg. These two selections give readers a feel for what this important battle was like.

  • Citation: Military Essays and Recollections: Papers Read Before the Commandery of the State of Illinois, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Vol. II. Chicago: A.C. McClurg and Company, 1894. Reprint, Wilmington: Broadfoot Publishing Company, 1992. 318-342.

"Personal Recollections of Vicksburg," William L. B. Jenney, Read on October 3rd, 1883

  • William Jenney served as an engineer in the Civil War. In these recollections, he writes about Sherman's lack of mercy, the Union's ingenious use of dummy boats, and camaraderie between Union and Confederate soldiers. He memorialized his fellow Vicksburg veterans in a monument to Illinois soldiers at the Vicksburg National Military Park.

  • Citation: Military Essays and Recollections: Papers Read Before the Commandery of the State of Illinois, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Vol. III. Chicago: The Dial Press, 1899. Reprint, Wilmington: Broadfoot Publishing Company, 1992. 248-249, 254-255, 264-265.

"Those Who Fought Without Guns," Arthur Edwards, Read on June 2nd, 1886

  • This piece pays tribute to the work of physicians on the Civil War battlefield. Its author, Arthur Edwards, was a chaplain with the First Michigan Infantry, and moved to Chicago after the war.

  • Citation: Military Essays and Recollections: Papers Read Before the Commandery of the State of Illinois, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Vol. I. Chicago: A.C. McClurg and Company, 1891. Reprint, Wilmington: Broadfoot Publishing Company, 1992. 442-443.

"Episodes in an Illinois Regiment," Lucien B. Crooker, Read on November 10th, 1887

  • Lucien Crooker, a private in the 12th Illinois US Infantry, included this letter written by a fellow soldier in his reminiscences of the regiment's experiences in the Civil War. It gives a good picture of the battlefield experience.

  • Citation: Military Essays and Recollections: Papers Read Before the Commandery of the State of Illinois, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Vol. I. Chicago: A.C. McClurg and Company, 1891. Reprint, Wilmington: Broadfoot Publishing Company, 1992. 42-43.

"A Colored Brigade in the Campaign and Battle of Nashville," Henry V. Freeman, Read on March 8th, 1888

  • Henry Freeman wrote this account of his experience as an officer of the Twelfth Regiment, United States Colored Troops. He was a member of the 74th Illinois before being promoted. Freeman, like all officers of the African-American regiments, was white.

  • Citation: Military Essays and Recollections: Papers Read Before the Commandery of the State of Illinois, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Vol. II. Chicago: A.C. McClurg and Company, 1894. Reprint, Wilmington: Broadfoot Publishing Company, 1992. 399-404.

"The Negro as a Soldier," William Eliot Furness, Read on November 12th, 1891

  • William Eliot Furness wrote and read this piece, which pays tribute to African-Americans who fought for the Union, at the 1891 meeting of the Illinois Commandery meeting. Furness lived in Chicago after his service in the Civil War and became an active member of the Chicago Literary Society.

  • Citation: Military Essays and Recollections: Papers Read Before the Commandery of the State of Illinois, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Vol. II. Chicago: A.C. McClurg and Company, 1894. Reprint, Wilmington: Broadfoot Publishing Company, 1992. 457-459, 486-487.

"Reminiscences of a Surgeon," Horace Wardner, Read on April 12th, 1894

  • Before the Civil War, Dr. Horace Warner taught anatomy at the Chicago Medical College. He was commissioned surgeon of the 12th Illinois Infantry. These selections are some of his memories from his work during the war. After the way, Dr. Warner founded St. Mary's Infirmary at Cairo, was superintendent of the Southern Illinois Hospital for the Insane at Anna, Illinois, and established a sanitarium in La Porte, Indiana.

  • Citation: Military Essays and Recollections: Papers Read Before the Commandery of the State of Illinois, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Vol. III. Chicago: The Dial Press, 1899. Reprint, Wilmington: Broadfoot Publishing Company, 1992. 174-178, 181, 185-187.

"Some Battle Recollections of Stone's River," Henry V. Freeman, Read on January 10th, 1895

  • Henry Freeman, a member of the 74th Illinois and later officer of the Twelfth Regiment, United States Colored Troops, recounted this memory of the compassion of Union soldiers toward their Confederate brothers.

  • Citation: Military Essays and Recollections: Papers Read Before the Commandery of the State of Illinois, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Vol. III. Chicago: The Dial Press, 1899. Reprint, Wilmington: Broadfoot Publishing Company, 1992. 239-240.

Communication from the Commander of G.A.R. Post No. 5 Notifying the City Clerk of the Post's Intention to Undertake the Relief of Indigent Veterans, July 8th, 1895 

  • See Philanthropy and Government Aid section

Short Mention of a Call for Volunteers in Edward West's Memoirs, 1895, Black Hawk War

  • In this brief segment of Edward West's memoir he talks about the Black Hawk War and those men who volunteered from his home to fight. 

  • Citation: West, Edward William. "Memoirs: Record of the Events in the Life and Times of Edward William West, Belleville, Illinois, A. D. 1895." In "Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society," vol. 22, no. 2. July, 1929. 19-20.

The Charleston Riot

Biographical Sketches from Coles County, Illinois

  • This history of Coles County is vague, and seems to be a deliberate attempt to omit certain facts about the riot itself.

  • Citation: Perrin, W.H., A.A. Graham, and D.M. Blair. The History of Coles County. Chicago: Wm. Le Baron, Jr. & Co., 1879. 284-285, 522-525, Preface, Contents.