Iowa: A Historical Timeline
Prior to 1673 Pre-European Settlement The area now known as Iowa is home to Native American tribes 13,000 years before European settlement. About 17 tribes reside in the Iowa region at various points in history, including the Ioway (for which the state is named), the Sioux, and the Missouri. By the Woodland period (1,000 BCE–1,000 CE), they are using the area’s rich soil to grow crops like corn and have established complex societies. These peoples will eventually be driven out of the area by social and political upheaval and U.S. encroachment. 1673–1805 European Exploration and Claims 1673 French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet explore the Mississippi River, reaching Iowa. 1682 The French colony of Louisiana (New France) is established. This vast swath of 828,800 square miles (2,147,000 sq km) in the middle of the continent encompasses 14 modern-day states, including all of present-day Iowa. 1762 France secretly cedes Louisiana to Spain with the Treaty of Fontainebleau. 1800 France retakes the Louisiana Territory from Spain as part of the secretly negotiated Treaty of San IIdefonso. 1803 The United States purchases the Louisiana Territory from France for $11,250,000 plus cancellation of almost $4 million of debt. 1804 (March 24) President Thomas Jefferson approves an Act of Congress to divide the newly acquired Louisiana Territory into two parts: the Territory of Orleans and the District of Louisiana (which includes Iowa). 1805–1833 An Emerging Territory 1805 (July 4) The District of Louisiana becomes the Louisiana Territory. 1808 Iowa’s Fort Madison is constructed by the U.S. Army to control trade along the Mississippi River and help pacify the Native American population in the region. It is the first permanent U.S. military fortification on the Upper Mississippi. 1812 (June 4) Iowa becomes part of the Missouri Territory when the Louisiana Territory is renamed to avoid confusion with the new State of Louisiana. 1813 British-allied Sauk war leader Black Hawk leads his first attack on the United States, capturing Fort Madison during the War of 1812. It remains the site of Iowa's only true military battle. 1820 The U.S. Congress passes the Missouri Compromise, prohibiting slavery in the former Louisiana Territory north of parallel 36°30' except within the boundaries of the proposed state of Missouri. 1821 Missouri becomes a state in 1821, effectively leaving Iowa part of an unorganized territory. The area is closed to new American settlers, not to be reopened until the end of the Black Hawk War in 1832. 1829 The federal government exiles the Sauk and Meskwaki tribes from their villages in western Illinois, forcing them across the Mississippi River into the Iowa region. 1832 After being defeated in the Black Hawk War, the Sauk and Meskwaki tribes are forced to relinquish some of their land in eastern Iowa. Known as the Black Hawk Purchase, the land constitutes a 50-mile-wide strip along the Mississippi River, stretching from the Missouri border to Fayette and Clayton counties in northeastern Iowa. 1833–1861 American Settlement and Statehood 1833 (June) The first official American settlement in Iowa is established in the area of the Black Hawk Purchase. Most of Iowa's early American settlers come from Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana, Kentucky, and Virginia. 1834 (June 8) Iowa becomes part of Michigan Territory. 1836 When Michigan becomes a state, Iowa splits off as part of the Wisconsin Territory, becoming the Iowa District. 1839 (July) Twenty-six years before the end of the Civil War, the Iowa Supreme Court decides a fleeing slave named Ralph became free when he stepped on Iowa soil. In Re the Matter of Ralph is the court’s first official ruling. 1841 Iowa City becomes the capital of the Iowa District. 1844 Although still part of a territory, Iowa drafts its first constitution. It is later rejected in a public vote, the key dispute being the suggested boundaries of the prospective State of Iowa. 1846 Iowa drafts a second constitution, essentially the same document as the 1844 draft but calling for the state boundaries as they are known today. It is instrumental in Iowa being granted statehood. (December 28) The Iowa District becomes the state of Iowa, the 29th state admitted to the Union. 1847 The University of Iowa becomes the first public university in the country to admit men and women on an equal basis. 1850 Limestone is discovered under the banks of the Wapsipinicon River. By the late 1800s there is a flourishing quarry industry, leading to the establishment of Stone City. The quarries have since become some of the largest in the U.S., shipping limestone across the nation. 1851 The Santee band of the Sioux becomes the last native tribe to negotiate a treaty, or "peace document," with the federal government. While the resulting Santee reservation is located in Nebraska, today the majority of Santees live in Sioux City, which has a Santee population of 4,000. Iowa abolishes barriers to marriage because of race more than 100 years before the U.S. Supreme Court will ban such laws nationwide. 1854 Radical German Pietists found the Amana Villages about 20 miles from Iowa City. Known as the Ebenezer Society or the Community of True Inspiration, they live communally in the settlements for more than 70 years. The site will be designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1965 and become a popular tourist attraction. 1856 Chief Mamenwaneke, representing the Meskwaki people, purchases 80 acres of land, establishing the Meskwaki Settlement. This will grow to over 7,000 acres not subject to the reversals of federal policy that will deprive most natives of a secure home. 1857 (March 8–9) The Spirit Lake Massacre. A group of 14 Sioux attack Spirit Lake, a settlement of people from Milford, Massachusetts in the northwestern area of Iowa. They kill between 35 and 40 settlers. The massacre will be the first of a series of incidents leading up to the Sioux uprising in Minnesota five years later. (September 3) Iowa’s new constitution goes into effect. Still in use today (although much amended), it is one of only 10 state constitutions in continuous use for more than a century. Neither African Americans nor women are given suffrage in the document. The issue of suffrage for blacks is submitted to a popular vote but is defeated. 1861–1900 The Civil War and Reconstruction Eras 1861 The Civil War erupts. A "free state," Iowa overwhelmingly supports the Union. While no battles will occur in the state, more than 75,000 Iowans will serve. Over 13,000 will be killed and 8,500 wounded. 1867 The Union Pacific railroad reaches Council Bluffs, its designated eastern terminus at the time. The railroad’s freight capabilities help the growth of industry and agriculture. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, even small Iowa towns will have six passenger trains arriving and departing each day. 1868 Iowa voters approve a state constitutional amendment giving African-American males the vote. The Iowa Supreme Court rules that racially segregated "separate but equal" schools are unconstitutional, 85 years before the U.S. Supreme Court will rule similarly. 1869 Iowa encourages immigration by printing a 96-page booklet entitled Iowa: The Home of Immigrants. As a result, German, English, Dutch, Swedish, and Danish immigration booms. These groups principally become farmers, while Italians, Croats, and African Americans are mainly drawn to the coal industry scattered throughout central and southern Iowa. Iowa will remain a primarily agricultural state into the 21st century, with 92 percent of its land devoted to agriculture, principally corn, soy, and pork production. After an Iowa Supreme Court ruling, Iowa becomes the first state in the Union to admit women to the practice of law. 1870 Both houses of the general assembly pass a women’s suffrage amendment. Two years later, when the legislature considers the amendment again before it can be submitted to the general electorate, it is defeated. Iowan women will have to wait until the passage of the federal 19th Amendment in 1920 for suffrage. 1873 The Iowa Supreme Court rules against racial discrimination in public accommodations 91 years before the U.S. Supreme Court reaches the same decision. 1876 The state capital is moved from Iowa City to Des Moines. 1884 The Iowa Civil Rights Act passes, supposedly outlawing racial discrimination by businesses. However, the courts narrowly apply the law and de facto discrimination continues. 1894 Women are granted "partial suffrage," allowing them to vote on issues but not for candidates. 1900–1930 Early 20th Century 1901 John and Robert Stuart and George Douglas start an oats processing plant in Cedar Rapids. In time, this firm will merge with three other mills and adopt the name Quaker Oats. 1917 The U.S. enters Word War I. Iowa farmers purchase more land and raise more corn, beef, and pork for the war effort with the help of federal wartime subsidies. 1920 Wartime subsidies disappear, and Iowa farmers experience severe economic hardships for the first time. They form coalitions in an attempt to manipulate the market by withholding goods, with little success. 1923 In Des Moines, construction begins on Salisbury House, cosmetic magnate Carl Weeks’ estate modeled after the King’s House in Salisbury, England. Completed in 1928, its building costs reach $1.5 million. 1926 After developing an early variety of hybrid corn, Iowan agricultural researcher Henry A. Wallace founds the seed company Pioneer Hi-Bred. By 2000, Pioneer will be the second-largest producer of hybrid agricultural seed in the U.S. 1928 West Branch native Herbert Hoover becomes the 31st president of the United States. Eight months after he takes office, the Wall Street stock market crash occurs. Hoover is widely blamed for the economic turmoil of the next few years. Shantytowns erected by the newly homeless are even labeled "Hoovervilles." Hoover serves only one term in office. 1930–1950 The Great Depression and World War II 1930 Iowa native Grant Wood creates the iconic painting American Gothic, using a house from Eldon as a backdrop. The house will be listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, and Grant’s painting will become one of the most recognizable and parodied images in American art. The Great Depression influences the gradual shift away from smallholder farming to larger farms, increasing urbanization and the growth of manufacturing industries in Iowa. 1933 (May 12) President Franklin Roosevelt introduces a federal farm aid program, The Agricultural Adjustment Act. Now secretary of agriculture, Henry A. Wallace serves as principal architect for the program. The act helps alleviate the situation, but Iowa farmers will not experience full economic recovery until the 1940s. 1934 The Mother Mosque of America in Cedar Rapids becomes the first permanent structure in North America built specifically to serve as a mosque. 1939 Bulgarian-American physicist John Vincent Atanasoff creates a prototype for the world’s first electronic digital computer while a professor at Iowa State University. 1941 The U.S. enters World War II. Iowa’s city-centered manufacturing industries flourish during the war. By 2000, more than 60 percent of the state’s population will be urban. 1949 The Iowa Supreme Court outlaws racial discrimination by public businesses after Edna Griffin is denied service at a Des Moines drugstore. Sometimes called "the Rosa Parks of Iowa," Griffin actually begins her anti-discrimination crusade seven years before Parks sparks the Montgomery Bus Boycott. 1950–present Modern Iowa 1965 The Iowa Civil Rights Act passes, establishing the Iowa Civil Rights Commission to investigate and litigate civil rights complaints. (December) Three students wear black armbands with peace signs to school in protest of the Vietnam War and are subsequently suspended. The students sue the school board, and the case reaches the Supreme Court in 1969. In a landmark First Amendment decision, the court rules in favor of the students, confirming their right to express political views on school grounds. 1970 Inspired by hybrid pioneer Henry A. Wallace, Iowa native Norman Borlaug receives the Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions to increasing crop yields worldwide. Iowa State University funds much of Borlaug’s research in plant genomics, in which he develops strains of high-yield rice. 1980 Voters reject the addition of an Equal Rights Amendment outlawing gender-based discrimination to the state constitution. Another similar proposal is rejected in 1992, even though the state previously ratified a federal Equal Rights Amendment. 1980s The Farm Crisis causes a major economic downturn in Iowa not seen since the Great Depression. The crisis spurs a major population decline in the state that will last a decade. 1998 A state law passes restricting marriage to union "between one man and one woman." 2009 (April 3) The Iowa Supreme Court unanimously overturns the state’s same-sex marriage ban, and Iowa becomes the third state to legalize gay marriage.
	Click to enlarge an image Prior to 1673: Sioux chief 1673: Jacques Marquette 1808: Upper Mississippi River near Harpers Ferry 1813: Black Hawk 1841: A bird's-eye view map of Iowa City circa 1868 1844: Iowa Territorial Seal 1847: University of Iowa seal, mosaic 1857: Spirit Lake Cabin 1867: Council Bluffs, Golden Spike monument 1869: Pro-Immigration Poster 1869: Soybeans 1901: Quaker Oats Company magazine advertisement 1926: Henry A. Wallace 1928: Herbert Hoover 1928: Hooverville near Portland, Oregon 1930: Grant Wood Iowa state quarter from 2004 1970: Portrait of Henry Wallace 1970: Norman Borlaug (photo 2003)

Illinois: A Historical Timeline
Prior to 1699 Pre-European Settlement 5000 BCE Native American tribes hunt in the Illinois region. By 650 B.C. they have establish the settlement of Chahokia. The civilization vanishes around 1400 for unknown reasons. Remains can be found at the Chahokia Mounds, North American’s largest prehistoric earthwork relic. 3000 BCE Six united tribes, known as the Illiniwek or Illini, are present in the region, giving Illinois its eventual name. The Illini consist of the Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Moingwena, Peoria, and Tamarosa tribes. By the time of European contact they number in the several thousand. 1673 French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet descend the Mississippi River to the Arkansas River and return to Wisconsin via the Illinois River. They are the first Europeans to reach the region of Illinois. 1675 Marquette founds a mission at the Great Village of the Illinois, near present-day Utica. 1680 The Iroquois enter the region to attack the Illinois tribes. By 1800 the Inniniwek’s numbers dwindle to almost nothing as they are replaced by Pottawatomie, Miami, and Sauk, among others. French traders René-Robert Cavelier and Henry de Tonty build Fort Crèvecoeur on the Illinois River, near present-day Peoria, to celebrate Mass and preach the Gospel. 1696 Jesuit priest Pierre François Pinet establishes the Guardian Angel mission at present-day Chicago. 1699–1800 Early European Exploration and Settlement 1699 Priests of the Quebec Seminary of Foreign Missions found the Holy Family mission at Cahokia, the first permanent European settlement in the Illinois country. 1717 By order of King Louis XV, Illinois is annexed to the French province of Louisiana, with the Illinois River serving as its northern border. 1730 (September 9) French troops and their Native American allies massacre nearly 500 Fox Native Americans due to the tribe’s fierce opposition to French meddling in the fur trade. 1763 The Seven Years’ War ends, and France cedes Illinois country to Britain as part of the Treaty of Paris. 1769 According to legend, a band of Potawatomi besiege and starve a group of Illiniwek at Fort St. Louis, believing the Illinois Native Americans to be responsible for the Ottawa Chief Pontiac’s death. The site is now known as Starved Rock. 1772 Jean Baptiste Point DuSable builds a trading post near Lake Michigan, becoming the first resident of the settlement that will be Chicago. 1778 American military officer George Rogers Clark defeats the British at Kaskaskia, securing the Illinois country for Virginia. 1783 The Treaty of Paris extends the United States boundary to include the Illinois country. 1784 Virginia relinquishes its claims to Illinois. 1787 The Northwest Ordinance places Illinois in the Northwest Territory. 1800–1860 State of Illinois 1800 Congress creates the Indiana Territory, which includes Illinois. 1803 The Kaskaskia Native Americans cede nearly all of their Illinois land to the United States. 1809 Congress organizes the Illinois Territory with Kaskaskia as the capital. 1812 The Potawatomi Native Americans massacre 52 troops and civilians while destroying Fort Dearborn. It is later rebuilt in Chicago in 1816. 1818 (December 3) Illinois becomes the 21st state. 1823 Galena, Illinois becomes a center for lead mining. In the 1830s, 80 percent of the lead mined in the U.S. comes from the town. 1824 Voters defeat a constitutional convention call to permit slavery in the state. 1832 Abraham Lincoln runs for the General Assembly of Illinois and loses. In 1834 he runs again and wins. The Black Hawk War is fought in Illinois over land disputes. Black Hawk is the war chief of the Sauk, Fox, and Kickapoo Native Americans. When he refuses to move his tribes from land claimed by the state, federal troops arrive. Black Hawk’s band defeats the militia at the Battle of Stillman’s Run, but the war ends with a decisive victory for the militia at the Battle of Bad Axe. Black Hawk and eight other Native American leads are imprisoned, and the Native Americans are pushed further west. 1833 The Treaty of Chicago provides for the United States acquisition and settlement of the last remaining Native American lands in Illinois. 1835 The General Assembly grants a charter for the Jacksonville Female Academy, the first institution in the state for women’s education. 1839 Joseph Smith chooses Nauvoo as headquarters for the Mormon Church. In 1844 anti-Mormons assassinate Smith and his brother Hyram at Carthage, and the Mormons leave Nauvoo to follow Brigham Young to the Great Salt Basin in Utah. The Mormon temple in Nauvoo is burned to the ground in 1847 and rebuilt in 2002. 1846 The Donner Party leaves Springfield by wagon train for California. They later become known for resorting to cannibalism to survive the winter after being stranded in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Seeking religious freedom from their native Sweden, Erik Jansson and Jonas Olson establish a colony of Swedish immigrants at Bishop Hill. The communal society is founded upon economic and religious principles. 1853 The Illinois General Assembly passes legislation that prohibits free African Americans from settling in Illinois. 1854 Abraham Lincoln makes his first political speech at the Illinois State Fair. 1856 The first railroad bridge across the Mississippi River is completed between Rock Island and Davenport, Iowa. Rand McNally is established in Chicago. By 1880 it is the world’s largest mapmaking company. 1858 (June 16) Accepting the Republican nomination for an Illinois U.S. Senate seat, U.S. Representative Abraham Lincoln delivers his famous "A House Divided" speech in Springfield, highlighting the danger of slavery to the solidity of the Union. (August–October) During the Illinois senatorial campaign, Lincoln challenges Democrat Steven Douglas to a series of seven joint debates, primarily on slavery and its impact on the nation. The debates are held at various cities throughout Illinois over the next three months, bringing Lincoln to national prominence. However, Douglas is re-elected to the Senate by a narrow margin. 1860–1900 The Civil War and Reconstruction Eras 1860 Lincoln is elected 16th president of the United States, the first Republican to secure the office. 1861 The Civil War erupts. Roughly 250,000 Illinois men serve in the Union Army, and the state becomes a major launching point early in the war for General Ulysses S. Grant's campaigns to seize control of the Mississippi and Tennessee rivers. 1864 George Pullman’s Pullman Palace Car Company of Chicago manufactures the first railroad sleeping car. After President Lincoln’s assassination, Pullman arranges for the body to be shipped home to Springfield in one of his sleeping cars, garnering national attention that results in exploding sales. 1865 Illinois becomes the first state to ratify the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery. The Chicago Union Stock Yards opens as the meatpacking district in Chicago; by 1900 it employs more than one-third of packing industry laborers in the nation and is the center of the American meatpacking industry for decades. 1871 (October 8–11) Much of Chicago is destroyed in the Great Fire that rages for three days. The fire kills hundreds and destroys 18,000 downtown buildings with losses estimated at $200 million. Though the fire is one of the largest U.S. disasters of the 19th century, the rebuilding spurs Chicago’s development into one of the most populous and economically important American cities. 1872 In the U.S. Supreme Court case Bradwell v. State of Illniois, Myra Bradwell sues the state for denying her membership to the Illinois State Bar because she is a woman. The Supreme Court upholds the state’s decision, ruling that the right to practice a profession is not among the privileges upheld by the 14th Amendment. 1873 Frances Willard founds the Women’s Christian Temperance Union in Evanston, the oldest continuing non-sectarian women’s organization worldwide. The group spearheads the crusade for prohibition. 1885 The Home Insurance Building is built in Chicago. At 10 stories and 138 feet in height, it is the world’s first modern skyscraper. The building is demolished in 1931. 1886 (May 4) The Haymarket Square bombing and riot. Beginning as a rally in support of striking workers, an unknown person throws a bomb at police as they disperse the public meeting. The bomb blast and subsequent gunfire result in the deaths of 8 police officers and a number of civilians. 1889 Architect Frank Lloyd Wright establishes a home and studio in Oak Park with a $5,000 loan from his employer Louis Sullivan. The studio serves as his workspace for the first 20 years of his career and is declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976. 1890 African-American surgeon Daniel Hale Williams organizes Provident Hospital in Chicago, the first African-American owned and operated hospital in the U.S. 1892 Work on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal begins, which will reverse the flow of the Chicago River carrying wastewater away from the Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico. The canal system is completed in 1900. 1893 The World’s Columbian Exposition (or World’s Fair, as it’s popularly known) is held in Chicago to commemorate the 400th anniversary of European exploration to the western hemisphere. 1894 Workers at the Pullman factory strike over lowered wages and high rents. Eugene Debs calls the American Railway Union to strike in sympathy with Pullman workers, blocking freight traffic in and out of Chicago. Federal troops are called in to suppress mob violence. 1899 The Illinois General Assembly creates the first juvenile court system in the nation. 1900–1950 Early-to-mid 20th Century 1903 (December 30) A fire destroys the Iroquois Theater in Chicago, killing nearly 600 people in 20 minutes in the single deadliest single-building fire in U.S. history. 1905 Paul Harris and other Chicago businessmen organize the Rotary Club, an organization of service clubs. At the time, members choose the name Rotary because they rotate club meetings at each member’s office each week. 1908 (August 14–15) The Springfield Race Riot of 1908. Set off by reports that an African-American man had sexually assaulted a white woman and another had murdered a white man, whites demanded the suspects be turned over to the mob. When authorities refuse, rioters destroy dozens of black-owned homes and businesses and lynch African Americans. Only one man is ever convicted for acts during the riot, but it does directly lead to the formation of the National Association for the Advanced of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909. A coalmine fire at Cherry leads to 259 deaths. It is one of the worst mine disasters in U.S. history. 1913 The General Assembly grants women the right to vote for presidential electors. 1915 (July 24) The steamship Eastland rolls over while docked in the Chicago River, killing all 835 on board. It remains the largest loss-of-life disaster from a single shipwreck in Great Lakes history. 1919 The Chicago White Sox players are accused of throwing the World Series, intentionally losing a game to the Cincinnati Reds. Eight members of the team are banned for life from baseball, becoming infamous as the "Black Sox." (July 27–August 3) Sparked by tensions over competitive labor and housing markets, the Chicago race riots leave 38 dead, more than 500 injured, and 1,000 homeless. (June 10) Illinois is the first state to ratify the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote. 1925 (March 18) The great Tri-State Tornado kills 695 people in Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri and injures 13,000 people, causing $17 million in property damage. 1926 Aviator Charles Lindbergh begins daily mail delivery flights between Chicago and St. Louis. The Monsanto Corporation founds the town of Monsanto in southeast Illinois as a tax-free and regulation-free dumping location. The area is later identified as one of the most polluted communities in the region, now named Sauget. 1929 Gunmen of the South Side Italian gang led by Alphonse Capone murder seven rival North Side Irish gang members in the "St. Valentine’s Day Massacre" on Chicago’s North Side. Since Prohibition, Chicago’s criminal underworld has flourished, creating the notorious gangland operation the Chicago Outfit, which is run by infamous bootlegger and smuggler Al Capone. 1930 Adler Planetarium, the first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, opens in Chicago. 1934 (July 2) FBI gunmen shoot and kill notorious bank robber John Dillinger in the alley next to the Biograph Theater in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. 1935 The state legislature "outlaws" English and designates "the American language" as the official language of Illinois. (January 19) During a blizzard, Coopers Inc. sells the world's first briefs at the Marshall Field’s State Street store in downtown Chicago. The company will eventually become Jockey International. 1950–present Modern Illinois 1955 The first McDonald's franchise opens in Des Plaines 1956 Edwina Froehlich co-founds the La Leche League in Franklin Park to promote the breastfeeding of babies. It currently has a presence in 68 countries. 1968 (August 26–August 29) The 1968 Democratic National Convention is held in Chicago. Anti-war demonstrators arrive en masse, and Chicago mayor Richard J. Daly authorizes the police department to use force against what most say are peaceful, even light-hearted, protests. Riots ensue, and the National Guard is deployed. When the convention is over, eight men known as the "Chicago 8" are arrested and charged with conspiracy, inciting riots, and other related charges. 1969 The Chicago 8 trial opens. Initially all defendants are tried together, but defendant Bobby Seale is severed from the proceedings and sentenced to four years in prison for contempt of court, one of the longest sentences for that crime in U.S. history. Ultimately five are convicting of inciting riots, but those convictions are overturned in 1972. 1974 The Sears Tower in downtown Chicago is completed, becoming the world’s tallest building, standing 1,450 feet tall and 108 stories. 1975 Deposed Chicago Outfit crime boss Sam Giancana is shot and killed at his home in Oak Park. Before his death, Giancana was scheduled to testify at a Senate committee hearing regarding possible CIA and mafia connections in the 1963 assassination of President Kennedy. 1981 Morton Grove bans the possession of handguns in the most restrictive gun control measure in the nation at the time. 1982 The General Assembly fails to ratify the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which would prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender. 2003 Governor George Ryan gains national attention when he commutes the sentences of everyone on or waiting to be sent to death row in Illinois due to his belief that the death penalty is incapable of being administered fairly. Later Ryan is indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of racketeering and sentenced to 6.5 years in federal prison. 2008 (February 14) Former student Steven Kazmierczak opens fire and kills six people at Northern Illinois University before committing suicide. Fifteen people are wounded. (November 4) Illinois’ junior senator, Barack Obama, is elected the President of the United States, becoming the first African-American president in U.S. history. 2009 Governor Rod Blagojevich is removed from office and Republicans call for the resignation of Democratic Senator Roland Burris. In taped conversations, Blagojevich allegedly tries to "sell" Obama’s vacated senatorial seat for political favors, and Burris, who assumes the vacated seat, is accused of lying under oath regarding his dealings with the governor. Ethics charges against Burris are ultimately dropped.
	Click to enlarge an image 1673: Father Jacques Marquette 1680: Map by Abbott Claude Bernou showing Fort Crèvecoeur on the left bank of the Illinois River 1778: George Rogers Clark 1812: Fort Dearborn Massacre Monument 1832: Sketch of Abraham Lincoln 1832: Artist's depiction of the Battle of Stillman's Run 1839: Joseph Smith addressing the Nauvoo Legion 1846: Bishop Hill Colony 1856: Rand McNally Title Business Atlas 1858: Stephen A. Douglas 1860: Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the United States 1861: Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant 1864: George Pullman 1865: The Union Stock Yards in Chicago 1871: Artist's rendering of the Great Chicago Fire 1872: Myra Bradwell 1889: Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park 1890: Daniel Hale Williams 1903: Iroquois Theater Fire, horse-drawn ambulance 1919: Chicago White Sox team photo 1929: Saint Valentine's Day Massacre 1934: John Herbert Dillinger 1975: Sam Giancana at a Chicago police station 2008: Barack Obama, 44th president of the United States 2009: Rod Blagojevich

Indiana: A Historical Timeline
Prior to 1700 Pre-European Settlement 11,000 BCE Prehistoric Native Americans arrive in the area that would be Indiana. Some of the prehistoric people are hunters-gatherers while others are farmers. They leave behind mounds that were used as burial sites, temples, platforms for religious structures, and earthen forts. When European explorers enter the region, only a few hundred Native Americans remain. Most belong to the Miami tribe. 1614–15 Samuel de Champlain, the governor of New France (a nation based in present-day Canada) and the founder of Quebec, is believed to be the first French explorer to discover the Maumee River region of northeastern Indiana. 1679 French explorer René-Robert Cavalier and Louis de Baude de Frontenac, Governor of New France, visit the region and gain control of the Maumee-Wabash trade route. They claim the land for New France. 1700–1799 Early European Exploration and Settlement 1702 French fur traders establish the first permanent settlement at Vincennes. 1717 François-Marie Picoté de Belestre establishes the French Fort Quiatenon, near the present city of Lafayette, to protect the western frontier. 1721 Pierre Charlevois witnesses and describes the Miami Native American game of lacrosse. 1752 A smallpox epidemic breaks out. Over the next ten year, it decimates the Native American population. 1754 The French and Indian War begins. By 1761 the French are entirely forced out of Indiana. At the end of the war, England gains control of the Indiana region and Vincennes. The proclamation of 1763 forbids the settlement of lands west of the Appalachian Mountains. From their posts north of the Ohio River, the British send Native American war parties against the settlers who ignore the proclamation line. 1763–66 Pontiac’s Rebellion. Native American tribes from the Great Lakes region, dissatisfied after the British victory in the French and Indian War, unsuccessfully try to drive the British out of the region. The uprising prompts Britain to modify the policies that had provoked the conflict. As a concession, Britain issues a proclamation that the territory west of the Appalachian Mountains is to be reserved for Native Americans. 1772 British general Thomas Gage orders the French in the Wabash Valley to leave their settlements and demands the title deeds to their lands. 1774 John Chapman, later known as Johnny Appleseed, collects apple seedlings from western Pennsylvania and introduces apple orchards and nurseries to Indiana. The Quebec Act by Great Britain brings the territory of Indiana under the administration of Quebec, thus appeasing Indiana’s French population. American colonists, believing they are entitled to the territory for their support of Great Britain during the French and Indian War, are incensed that it is given to the "enemy," citing it as one of the Intolerable Acts leading to the Revolutionary War. 1778 American forces capture Fort Sackville, forcing the British to retreat to Detroit. Six months later, the British return and recapture the fort. 1779 (February) With the British surrender of Fort Sackville, American forces gain control of the Northwest, helping them to emerge victorious in the war. 1783 Britain cedes the area of Indiana to the U.S. 1787 (July 13) The Congress of the Confederation forms the Northwest Territory, which includes all the land between the Appalachian Mountains, the Mississippi River, the Great Lakes, and the Ohio River. Late 1700s The Potawatomi are the last group of Native Americans to enter Indiana and the last to leave. They build villages in the northeastern part of the region in the late 1700s. By 1838, many have sold their land to the government or been driven out by the military. 1800–1849 State of Indiana 1800 (July 4) In preparation for Ohio’s statehood, Congress divides the Northwest Territory: the western part becomes the Indiana Territory (which also includes Illinois) and the eastern section remains the Northwest Territory. 1803 Native American tribes cede parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois to the U.S. government. 1805 Michigan Territory separates from the Indiana Territory. 1809 Illinois Territory separates from the Indiana Territory. 1811 Voting is restricted to free white males, 21 years or older, who have paid a county or territorial tax and have resided in the Indiana Territory for one year. 1816 (December 11) Indiana becomes the 19th state. 1818 The Delaware, Wea, Kickapoo, Miami, and Potawatomi tribes give up their claim to a portion of central Indiana in a deal dubbed the "New Purchase." 1820 The Indiana Supreme Court case of Polly v. Lasselle, involving abolitionists attempting to free a slave from her master, results in the court ordering all slaves held within Indiana to be freed. 1821 Indianapolis is founded. Today it is the state capital, and Indiana’s largest city. 1822 Indiana and Illinois join together in a plan to connect the Maumee and Wabash rivers via a canal. 1825 Welsh factory owner Robert Owen buys 30,000 acres in Indiana as the site for the New Harmony utopian community. The community bans money and other commodities, but dissolves in 1829 due to infighting. 1829 The Cumberland Road, the first major U.S. highway, reaches Indianapolis, connecting Indiana to the eastern United States. 1832 The state begins construction on the Wabash and Erie Canal to connect the Wabash River with Lake Erie. The new canal makes possible water transportation from New Orleans to Lake Erie, helping to economically connect Indiana to the northern East Coast. By the time of its completion in 1853, the canal is 468 miles long. Due to the rise of the railroad, by 1876 the canal is no longer in use. 1841 After initiating a program for the construction of roads, canals, railroads, and public schools, budgetary spending nearly ruins Indiana’s credit and forces the state to the brink of bankruptcy. Indiana liquidates most of its public works. 1850–1899 The Civil War and Reconstruction Eras 1851 Indiana adopts a state constitution that includes protecting the property rights of married women. 1858 Tell City is founded as a planned community of Swiss furniture craftsmen from Cincinnati, Ohio. Its purpose is to offer affordable homesteads for mechanics, shopkeepers, factory workers, and small farmers in a location where all could live in harmony. John Mohler Studebaker joins his two older brothers in a South Bend firm producing wagons. The company goes on to become the world’s largest producer of farm wagons and carriages. It later produces the first electric car, before manufacturing gasoline-fueled automobiles. 1861 The Civil War begins. Indiana is the first western state to mobilize for the Civil War, and Indiana soldiers are present in almost every engagement during the war. By the end of the war in 1865, Indiana has contributed 208,367 men to fight in the war, 24,416 of whom lost their lives. 1863 (July 9–13) The only Civil War battle fought in Indiana is Morgan’s Raid. Confederate Commander John Morgan leads 2,400 Confederate cavalry to take possession of the towns of Corydon and Salem. The war shifts the state’s population from the south to the north. Because it closes the Mississippi River to traffic for four years, residents move north to rely on the Great Lakes and the railroad for exports. 1868 The Great Train Robbery takes place near Marshfield. Seven members of the Reno gang make off with $98,000 in cash, gold, and bonds. Train robbing becomes rampant in the aftermath of the Civil War, and the Reno Gang carries out three such robberies before vigilantes lynch 10 of its members. 1876 Pharmacist and former Union Army colonel Eli Lilly opens his first store in Indianapolis with just three employees. In the second half of the 20th century, Eli Lilly and Company helps Indiana become a leader in the pharmaceutical industry. 1880s Mining becomes a major industry in Indiana. Natural gas is discovered in northern Indiana; at the time, the Indiana gas field is the largest known in the world. In 1889, Standard Oil builds one of the largest oil refineries in the world near Whiting. 1884 A series of tornadoes in seven states, including Indiana, leaves approximately 800 people dead. 1897 The Indiana House of Representatives unanimously passes a measure to redefine the area of a circle and the value of pi as 4. The bill subsequently dies in the State Senate. 1900–1929 Early 20th Century 1907 Indiana enacts the nation’s first involuntary sterilization law based on the principles of eugenics. It is intended to prevent the procreation of "confirmed criminals, idiots, imbeciles, and rapists." It is ruled unconstitutional in 1921, but a revised eugenics law is passed in 1927, remaining in effect until 1974. 1911 The first Indianapolis 500 race takes place after the 1909 opening of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s now considered one of the three most important motor sport events in the world. 1919 Steel workers in Gary strike to force US Steel to recognize their union. The walkout ends in 110 days without success. 1920 (January 16) Indiana becomes the 26th state to ratify the 19th Amendment, which grants women suffrage. 1925 The great Tri-State Tornado hits Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri, killing 695 people, injuring 13,000, and causing $17 million in property damage. Scandal erupts when Indiana residents discover that over half the seats in the General Assembly are controlled by the Ku Klux Klan, leading the state to make a string of arrests and indictments against political leaders. The crackdown renders the Klan effectively powerless in Indiana. 1930–1949 The Great Depression and World War II 1932 At the height of the Great Depression, one quarter of the Indiana workforce is unemployed. 1941–45 The U.S. enters World War II. Nearly 400,000 men from Indiana enlist or are drafted. More than 11,783 die in the conflict. 1945 African-American officers of the 477th Bombardment Group of the Army Air Forces are arrested for entering the Freeman Field Officer’s Club near Seymour. One hundred and one African-American officers refuse to sign a document that establishes segregation of the club and are subsequently court martialed. Criminal charges are later dropped, but reprimands are placed in the officers’ files. They aren’t removed until 1995. One thousand white children are removed from schools in Gary in a protest of school integration. 1950–present Modern Indiana 1968 Robert F. Kennedy speaks at a primarily African-American ghetto in Indianapolis after hearing of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. His speech affirms the enormity of the event and begins healing among the community. Over the next days, riots take place in 76 cities across America, but Indianapolis remains quiet. 1977 (May 29) Janet Guthrie becomes the first woman to compete in the Indianapolis 500. 1982 Howard Brembeck organizes the Fourth Freedom Forum in Goshen to advocate the use of economic power instead of military force. 1985 Thirteen-year-old AIDS patient Ryan White is barred from attending classes in person in his hometown of Kokomo. He becomes a national poster child for HIV/AIDS awareness in the U.S. when he is expelled from school because of his disease. His lengthy legal battle with the school system and the protests of parents and teachers against his attendance reveal how poorly understood AIDS is at the time. 2008 (June) The Ohio River floods, causing central and southwestern Indiana to be deluged and leading to the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of residents. With damages totaling over $1 billion, It is the costliest natural disaster in the history of the state.
	Click to enlarge an image 1614: Map of New France made by Samuel de Champlain 1679: Painting of de Frontenac with Native Americans 1721: Lacrosse sticks by tribe: a. Iroquois b. Passamaquoddy c. Chippewa d. Cherokee 1754: French and Indian War map 1763: Pontiac urges listeners to rise up against the British. 1772: Thomas Gage 1774: John "Johnny Appleseed" Chapman 1779: Ft. Sackville 1825: New Harmony as depicted by Robert Owen 1858: Thomas Edison on his electric Studebaker, the first electric automobile (photo 1903) 1868: Frank Reno 1876: Lilly's first laboratory building 1911: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway under construction 1925: Newspaper coverage of the Tri-State Tornado 1945: Arrested African-American officers of the 477th Bombardment Group at Freeman Field, Indiana 1968: RFK Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery that includes text of Indianapolis speech 1985: President George W. Bush signs the 2006 reauthorization of the Ryan White Care Act.