Posted on by Forgottonia Project

Illinois: A State Apart – Episode #4 – The State of Chicago (1925)

“Once upon a time, Chicago and downstate belonged to the same economy…Factories downstate made things Chicago needed. That’s gone away. What’s replaced it in Chicago is the global economy. What economic vitality there is in Illinois is in Chicago. The economic fortunes of Chicago and downstate are diverging.”

Richard C. Longworth, “Caught in the Middle: America’s Heartland in the Age of Globalism”

Episode #4 – The State of Chicago (1925)

On this episode we explore the efforts of Chicago and Cook County to break free from the Land of Lincoln and chart their own course.

By the end of the 19th century the city of Chicago was experiencing tremendous growth (118% population boom according to the 1890 census). This growth continued in the early 20th century, but the state government–not wanting to lose social & political influence–was not reapportioning districts to reflect these population changes. What resulted was an effort by the city of Chicago to form the State of Chicago in 1925. Although nothing became of this, these efforts reveal that Chicago’s metropolitan growth increased tension with downstate Illinois.

  • Part 1 – The Great Chicago Fire of 1871: How a Tragedy Brought Our State Together
  • Part 2 – How the Rush of Immigrants in the Late 19th Century Impacted the City of Chicago and Downstate Illinois
  • Part 3 – How the Growth of Chicago Created a Battle for Reapportionment
  • Part 4: One Man, One Vote? The Supreme Court strikes down an idea to apportion districts by geography rather than population

“There are two strains of blood in America, one that stayed close to the soil and developed character and originality, and the other that struggled for riches in the cities and became parasitical.”

Edgar Lee Master, Tale of Chicago (1933)

Discussion Questions for this Episode

  • Q1 – How did the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 impact tension between Chicago and downstate Illinois, both in the short-term and long-term (for better and for worse)?
  • Q2 – How did the rush of immigrants in the late 19th century impact the city of Chicago and downstate Illinois? 
  • Q3 -What does reapportionment mean and why was the state government reluctant to reapportion Illinois?
  • Q4 – Why did some downstate officials want to apportion districts by geography rather than population? Why did the Supreme Court shut this idea down in what was known as the One man, One Vote decision?
  • Q5 – Why did downstate representative JAMES KIRBY actually organize efforts to prevent the city of Chicago from seceding? 

This Series

This series of the Forgottonia Project explores the history of downstate tension & secession movements that have occurred throughout IL history. “Nowhere is intrastate conflict more evident than between metropolitan Chicago and rural downstate.”

This tension–fueled by economic, cultural, & political differences–has shaped the state’s history in significant ways. The name “Forgottonia” is a reference to one tongue-in-cheek secessionist movement from Illinois, but it was far from the only instance of conflict in our state’s history.

This series will examine the origins of this tension, the impact it has had on our state, and more importantly — we’ll explore efforts to help bridge our divides.”

Overall Essential Questions

  • What are the origins of the tension between Chicago and downstate Illinois?
  • What can we do to bridge our rural-urban divide and find a common identity for the future of our state?

Sources

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