French settlements and forts in the Illinois Country in 1763, showing U.S. current state boundaries.

The Illinois Country (French: Pays des Illinois) was the name used in the 17th century and afterwards to refer to an undefined region centered around present day southwest Illinois that was explored and settled by the French beginning in 1673, when Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette explored the Mississippi River, and France claimed the Illinois Country. Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (149,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... Events January 22 - Impostor Mary Carleton is hanged in Newgate prison in England for multiple thefts and returning from penal transportation March 18 - John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton sells his part of New Jersey to the Quakers. ... Louis Joliet, also known Louis Jolliet (September 21, 1645–May 1700), was a Canadian explorer born in Quebec who is important for his discoveries in North America. ... Father Jacques Marquette (French: Père Jacques Marquette) (10 June 1637–May 18, 1675) and Louis Jolliet were the first Europeans to see and map the Mississippi River. ... The Mississippi River, derived from the old Ojibwe word misi-ziibi meaning great river (gichi-ziibi big river at its headwaters), is the second-longest river in the United States; the longest is the Missouri River, which flows into the Mississippi. ...

Location

The region never had clearly defined boundaries. Earlier descriptions tended to be more expansive. The largest scope described it as extending east to the Allegheny Mountains, west to the Rocky Mountains, north up to Peoria and south to the Arkansas Post where the Arkansas River flowed into the Mississippi River. By another description, it extended from lakes Michigan and Superior to the Ohio and Missouri rivers. A third, from after the British acquired the region, described it as bounded by the Mississippi River on the west, the Illinois River on the north, the Wabash River on the east, and the Ohio River on the south. The region now known as the American Bottom is very nearly at the center of all descriptions of the Illinois Country. The Allegheny Mountains are a part of the Appalachian mountain range of the eastern United States. ... White Goat Wilderness Area, Alberta, Canada View of the Rocky Mountains as depicted on the Colorado state quarter The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a broad mountain range in western North America. ... Peoria City Hall Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria CountyGR6, Illinois, in the United States. ... Arkansas Post, Arkansas was the first permanent French settlement in the lower Mississippi River valley and was the first territorial capital of the State of Arkansas. ... The headwaters of the Arkansas near Leadville, Colorado The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi which flows east and southeast through Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma territories and then into the state of Arkansas. ... The Mississippi River, derived from the old Ojibwe word misi-ziibi meaning great river (gichi-ziibi big river at its headwaters), is the second-longest river in the United States; the longest is the Missouri River, which flows into the Mississippi. ... Sunset on Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. ... Lake Superior, viewed from Au Train Bay in Alger County, Michigan Lake Superior (known as Gichigami in an Ojibwe language), bounded by Ontario and Minnesota to the north and Wisconsin and Michigan in the south, is the largest of North Americas Great Lakes. ... Ohio River viewed from Liberty Hill in Ripley, Ohio. ... The Missouri River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the United States. ... This article is about the river in the U.S. state of Illinois. ... The Wabash River is a 475 mi (765 km) long river in the eastern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near St. ... The American Bottom is a flood plain of the Mississippi River in southwestern Illinois, extending from Alton, Illinois, to the Kaskaskia River. ...

Exploration and settlement

Initially, the principal white inhabitants were French traders and missionaries, both dealing with Native Americans, particularly the group known as the Kaskaskia. The French were not very successful in encouraging settlement in the area, despite the importation of women to induce permanent settlement. Some number of French convicts were relocated there and became settlers. There were also some German and Spanish immigrants to the region, creating one of the earliest American melting pot cultures. The Kaskaskia were one of the several cognate tribes that made up the Illiniwek Confederation. ... Alternate meaning: crucible (science) The melting pot is a metaphor for the way in which heterogenous societies develop, in which the ingredients in the pot (iron, tin; people of different backgrounds and religions, etc. ...

It was originally governed from French Canada, but by order of King Louis XV on September 27, 1717, the Illinois Country was annexed to the French province of Louisiana, with the northern border being the Illinois River. In 1721, the seventh civil and military district of Louisiana was named Illinois, and it included more than half of the present state, as well as the land between the Arkansas River and the line of 43 degree north latitude, and the country between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River. In 1723, the region around the Wabash River was made into a separate district. Around this time, the Illinois Country was sometimes referred to as Upper Louisiana, although this term was also used to describe the land west of the Mississippi River, with Illinois Country referring to land east of the Mississippi and north of the Ohio Rivers. The distinction became clearer after the Treaty of Paris in 1763, when Britain acquired the land east of the Mississippi and Spain acquired Louisiana and land west of the Mississippi. This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 95 days remaining. ... // Events January 4 — The Netherlands, Britain & France sign Triple Alliance February 26-March 6 What is now the northeastern United States was paralyzed by a series of blizzards that buried the region. ... Territory of French Louisiane in 1803. ... This article is about the river in the U.S. state of Illinois. ... // Events Pope Innocent XIII becomes pope Johann Sebastian Bach composes the Brandenburg Concertos April 4 - Robert Walpole becomes the first prime minister of Britain September 10 - Treaty of Nystad is signed, bringing an end to the Great Northern War November 2 - Peter I is proclaimed Emperor of All the Russias... The headwaters of the Arkansas near Leadville, Colorado The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi which flows east and southeast through Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma territories and then into the state of Arkansas. ... Events February 16 - Louis XV of France attains his majority Births February 24 - John Burgoyne, British general (d. ... The Wabash River is a 475 mi (765 km) long river in the eastern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near St. ... The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763 was signed on February 10, 1763, by the Kingdom of Great Britain, France and Spain with Portugal in agreement. ...

On January 1, 1718, a trade monopoly was granted to John Law and his Company of the West (which was to become the Company of the Indies in 1719). Hoping to make a fortune mining precious metals, the company built a fort to protect its interests. Construction began on Fort de Chartres in 1718 and was completed in 1720. It was located near Prairie du Rocher, Illinois, close to the Mississippi River. January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... // Events The Funj warrior aristocracy deposes the reigning mek and places one of their own ranks on the throne of Sennar. ... Jean Law John Law (1671 April 21 - 1729 March 21) was a Scottish economist who believed that money was only a means of exchange that did not constitute wealth in itself, and that national wealth depended on trade. ... In August 1717 Scottish businessman John Law acquired a controlling interest in the then derelict Mississippi Company and renamed it the Compagnie d’Occident (or Compagnie du Mississippi). ... In August 1717 Scottish businessman John Law acquired a controlling interest in the then derelict Mississippi Company and renamed it the Compagnie d’Occident (or Compagnie du Mississippi). ... // Events January 23 - The Principality of Liechtenstein is created within the Holy Roman Empire April 25 - Daniel Defoe publishes Robinson Crusoe June 10 - Battle of Glen Shiel Prussia conducts Europes first systematic census Miners in Falun, Sweden find an apparently petrified body of Fet-Mats Israelsson in an unused... Fort de Chartres existed as a succession of three French fortifications built during the 1700s on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area of upper Louisiana known as the Illinois Country. ... // Events January 6 - The Committee of Inquiry on the South Sea Bubble publishes its findings February 11 - Sweden and Prussia sign the (2nd Treaty of Stockholm) declaring peace. ... Prairie du Rocher is a village located in Randolph County, Illinois. ...

This fort was to be the seat of government for the Illinois Country and help to control the aggressive Fox Indians. The fort was named after Louis duc de Chartres, son of the regent of France. Because of frequent flooding, another fort was built further inland in 1725. By 1731, the Company of the Indies had gone defunct and turned Louisiana and its government back to the king. The garrison at the fort was removed to Kaskaskia, Illinois in 1747, about 18 miles to the south. A new stone fort was planned near the old fort and was described as "nearly complete" in 1754, although construction continued until 1760. The Fox tribe of Native Americans are an Algonquian language-speaking group that are now merged with the allied Sac tribe as the Sac and Fox Nation. ... Events February 8 - Catherine I became empress of Russia February 20 - The first reported case of white men scalping Native Americans takes place in New Hampshire colony. ... Events 10 Downing Street becomes the official residence of the United Kingdoms Prime Minister when Robert Walpole moves in. ... Kaskaskia is a village located in Randolph County, Illinois. ... // Events January 31 - The first venereal diseases clinic opens at London Dock Hospital April 9 - The Scottish Jacobite Lord Lovat was beheaded by axe on Tower Hill, London, for high treason; he was the last man to be executed in this way in Britain May 14 - First battle of Cape... 1754 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1760 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

The new stone fort was headquarters for the French Illinois Country for less than 20 years, as it was turned over to the British in 1763 with the Treaty of Paris at the end of the French and Indian War. The British took control of the fort on October 10, 1765 and renamed it Fort Cavendish. The British offered the French inhabitants the same rights and privileges enjoyed under French rule. In September, 1768, the British established a Court of Justice, the first court of common law in the Mississippi valley. 1763 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763 was signed on February 10, 1763, by the Kingdom of Great Britain, France and Spain with Portugal in agreement. ... The conflict resulted in Frances loss of most of its possessions in North America. ... October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in Leap years). ... 1765 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1768 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

After severe flooding in 1772, the British saw little value in maintaining the fort and abandoned it. They moved the military garrison to the fort at Kaskaskia and renamed it Fort Gage. Catherine IIs soldiers in the Russo-Turkish War, by Alexandre Benois. ...

Other Settlements

• Peoria was at first the southermost part of New France, then the northernmost part of the French Colony of Louisiana, and finally the westernmost part of the newly formed United States. French interests were dominant at Peoria for well over a hundred years, from the time the first French explorers came up the Illinois River in 1673 until the first United States settlers began to move into the area around 1815. A small French presence persisted for a time on the east bank of the river, but was gone by about 1846. Today, only faint echoes of French Peoria survive in the street plan of downtown Peoria, and in the name of an occasional street, school, or hotel meeting room: Joliet, Marquette, LaSalle.
• In 1675, Jacques Marquette founded a mission at the Great Village of the Illinois, near present Utica, Illinois, which was destroyed by Iroquois in 1680.
• Fort Vincennes, later known as St. Vinennes and eventually Vincennes, Indiana, was established in 1732. It was renamed Fort Sackville after being captured by the British. George Rogers Clark renamed it Fort Patrick Henry, for the Governor of Virginia. Although part of the original expansive Illinois Country, as part of the Northwest Territory it was the seat of a separate county.
• Cahokia, established in 1699 by French missionaries from Quebec was the one of the earliest permanent settlements in the region and became one of the most populous of the northern towns. In 1787, it was made the seat of St. Clair County in the Northwest Territory. In 1801, William Henry Harrison, then governor of Indiana Territory, enlarged St. Clair County to adminster a vast area extending to the Canadian border. By 1814, the county had been reduced to the size of the present St. Clair County, Illinois when the county seat shift away from Cahokia to Belleville. On April 20, 1769, the great Indian leader, Chief Pontiac came to an ignominious end in Cahokia, murdered by a chief of the Peoria.
• Established in 1703, Kaskaskia was at first a tiny mission station, and later flourished to become capital of the Illinois Territory, 1809-1818, and the first capital of the state of Illinois, 1818-1820. The French built a fort here in 1721, which was destroyed in 1763 by the British. During the American Revolution, General George Rogers Clark took possession of the village in 1778. Flooding in the 19th century destroyed the old settlement. The area is now Fort Kaskaskia State Park.
• In 1720, Philippe de Renault, the Director of Mining Operations for the Company of the West, arrived with about 200 laborers and mechanics and 500 negro slaves for working the mines. However, the mines yielded only unprofitable coal and lead, leading to the failure of the Company of the West. In 1723, Renault, with his workers and slaves, established the village St. Philippe (near the present day unincorporated community of Renault, Illinois in Monroe County, Illinois) about 3 miles north of Fort de Chartres. This is the first record of African slaves in the region.
• The French built Fort Massac in 1757 near the present Metropolis, Illinois.

Peoria City Hall Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria CountyGR6, Illinois, in the United States. ... New France (French: la Nouvelle-France) describes the area colonized by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River, by Jacques Cartier in 1534, to the cession of New France to the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1763. ... Territory of French Louisiane in 1803. ... The Battle of New Orleans 1815 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Events January 5 - The Battle of Turckeim June 18 - Battle of Fehrbellin August 10 - King Charles II of England places the foundation stone of the Royal Greenwich Observatory in London - construction begins November 11 - Guru Gobind Singh becomes the Tenth Guru of the Sikhs. ... Father Jacques Marquette (French: Père Jacques Marquette) (10 June 1637–May 18, 1675) and Louis Jolliet were the first Europeans to see and map the Mississippi River. ... Utica, founded in 1852, is located in La Salle County, Illinois, between La Salle and Ottawa, on the Illinois River. ... The Iroquois Confederacy (Haudenosaunee, also known as the League of Peace and Power, Five Nations, or Six Nations) is a group of First Nations/Native Americans. ... The city of Vincennes is the county seat of Knox County, Indiana. ... Events February 23 - First performance of Handels Orlando, in London June 9 - James Oglethorpe is granted a royal charter for the colony of Georgia. ... The city of Vincennes is the county seat of Knox County, Indiana. ... Cahokia is a village located in St. ... Events January 26 - Treaty of Karlowitz signed March 30 - the tenth Sikh Master, Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa. ... 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and the Territory North West of the Ohio, was a government and region within the early United States. ... The Union Jack, flag of the newly formed United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ... William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773 – April 4, 1841) was an American military leader, politician, and the ninth President of the United States, (1841). ... Map of the Indiana Territory Indiana Territory was an organized territory of the United States from 1800 to 1816, created by Act of Congress and signed into law by President John Adams on May 7, 1800, effective on July 4. ... 1814 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... St. ... Belleville is a city in St. ... April 20 is the 110th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (111th in leap years). ... 1769 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... No authentic images of Pontiac are known to exist. ... Peoria is the name of the Peoria tribe of Native Americans and the name of a number of places in the United States of America: Peoria, Arizona Peoria, Illinois Peoria County, Illinois Peoria, Oregon This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share... Events February 2 - Earthquake in Aquila, Italy February 4 - In Japan, the 47 samurai commit seppuku (ritual suicide) February 14 - Earthquake in Norcia, Italy April 21 - Company of Quenching of Fire (ie. ... Kaskaskia is a village located in Randolph County, Illinois. ... Categories: Stub | Illinois history | U.S. historical regions and territories ... 1809 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1818 (MDCCCXVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar. ... 1818 (MDCCCXVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar. ... 1820 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... // Events Pope Innocent XIII becomes pope Johann Sebastian Bach composes the Brandenburg Concertos April 4 - Robert Walpole becomes the first prime minister of Britain September 10 - Treaty of Nystad is signed, bringing an end to the Great Northern War November 2 - Peter I is proclaimed Emperor of All the Russias... 1763 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Clark as painted by Matthew Harris Jouett in 1825 George Rogers Clark (November 19, 1752 – February 13, 1818) was the preeminent American military leader on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolutionary War. ... 1778 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... // Events January 6 - The Committee of Inquiry on the South Sea Bubble publishes its findings February 11 - Sweden and Prussia sign the (2nd Treaty of Stockholm) declaring peace. ... Events February 16 - Louis XV of France attains his majority Births February 24 - John Burgoyne, British general (d. ... Monroe County is a county located in the state of Illinois. ... Fort Massac is a colonial era fort on the Ohio River in Massac County, Illinois. ... 1757 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Statue of Superman in the town square The sign outside the Superman Museum Metropolis is a city located in Massac County, Illinois, along the Ohio River. ...

Post-colonial period

During the Revolutionary War, General George Rogers Clark took possession of the entire Illinois Country for Virginia. In November of 1779, the Virginia legislature created the county of Illinois comprising all of the lands lying west of the Ohio River to which Virginia had any claim, with Kaskaskia as the county seat. Captain John Todd was named as governor. However, this government was limited to the former French settlements and was rather ineffective. Clark as painted by Matthew Harris Jouett in 1825 George Rogers Clark (November 19, 1752 – February 13, 1818) was the preeminent American military leader on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolutionary War. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  Ranked 35th  - Total 42,793 sq. ... 1779 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Ohio River viewed from Liberty Hill in Ripley, Ohio. ... John Todd (March 27, 1750–August 18, 1782) was a frontier military officer during the American Revolutionary War and the first administrator of the Illinois County of the U.S. state of Virginia before that state ceded the territory to the federal government. ...

For their assistance to General Clark in the war, French and Indian residents of Illinois Country were given full citizenship. Under the Northwest Ordinance and many subsequent treaties and acts of Congress, the French and Indian residents of Vincennes and Kaskaskia were granted specific exemptions, as they had declared themselves citizens of Virginia. The term Illinois Country was sometimes used in legislation to refer to these settlements. The Northwest Ordinance (formally An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States, North-West of the River Ohio, and also known as the Freedom Ordinance) was an act of the Continental Congress of the United States passed on July 13, 1787 under the Articles of Confederation. ...

Much of the Illinois Country region became an organized territory of the United States with the establishment of the Northwest Territory in 1787. In the history of the United States, an organized territory is a territory for which the United States Congress has enacted an Organic Act. ... The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and the Territory North West of the Ohio, was a government and region within the early United States. ...

See also

• New France
• Historic regions of the United States
• Ohio Country

New France (French: la Nouvelle-France) describes the area colonized by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River, by Jacques Cartier in 1534, to the cession of New France to the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1763. ... These are historic regions of the United States, meaning regions that were legal entities in the past, or which the average modern American would no longer immediately recognize as a regional description. ... The Ohio Country, showing the present-day U.S. state boundaries The Ohio Country (sometimes called the Ohio Territory) was the name used in the 18th century for the regions of North America west of the Appalachian Mountains and in the region of the upper Ohio River south of Lake...

References

• French Peoria in the Illinois Country, 1673-1846 Library of Congress exhibit

Bibliography

• French Roots in the Illinois Country: The Mississippi Frontier in Colonial Times by Carl J. Ekberg ISBN 0-252-06924-2
• Kaskaskia under the French Regime by Natalia Maree Belting ISBN 0-8093-2536-5
• The Illinois Country, 1673-1818 by Clarence W. Alvord and Robert M. Sutton ISBN 0252013379