1673

French explorers Jacques Marquette (1637-1675) and Louis Jolliet (1645-1700) reach Illinois in 1673

1680

French explorer René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (1643-1687) and Henry de Tonty (1650-1704) build Fort Crèvecoeur

1696

The Jesuit priest Pierre François Pinet (1660-1704) establishes the Guardian Angel mission in present-day Chicago

1717

Illinois becomes part of the French colony of Louisiana

1718

John Law (1671-1729) is granted a French charter for colonizing the Mississippi Valley

1756

1756 - 1763 - The Seven Years War (French and Indian War) due to disputes over land is won by Great Britain. France gives England all French territory east of the Mississippi River, except New Orleans. The Spanish give up east and west Florida to the English in return for Cuba.

1775

1775 - 1783 - The American Revolution creates the United States of America. The Revolution was due to the British burden of taxes and total power to legislate any laws governing the American colonies. George Washingtonled the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War (American War of Independence)

1776

July 4, 1776 - United States Declaration of Independence

1778

July 10, 1778 - France declares war against Britain and makes an alliance with the American revolutionary forces

1783

September 3, 1783 - The Treaty of Paris is signed by the victorious United States and the defeated Great Britain

1800's

Conflict erupts between settlers and Native Indians including the Iroquois, Chippewa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi, Kickapoo, Kaskaskia, Miami, Shawnee, Sauk and Fox tribes throughout the 1800's

1800

Congress creates the Indiana Territory, which includes Illinois

1803

Kaskaskia Indians cede nearly all of their lands

1812

1812 - 1815: The War of 1812 between U.S. and Great Britain, ended in a stalemate but confirmed America's Independence

1812

Potawatomi Indians massacre at Fort Dearborn

1818

Statehood - The Date that Illinois was admitted to the Union - December 3, 1818. Constitution - Illinois was the 21st State to be admitted to the Union. State Motto - " State Sovereignty, National Union "

1819

Kickapoo Indians cede their lands

1829

Chippewa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi cede lands

1839

Cherokee Indians pass through Illinois on the "Trail of Tears" to Oklahoma

1861

1861 - 1865: The American Civil War. In 1859 John Brown raided Harpers Ferry and set in motion events that led directly to the outbreak of the Civil War. outbreak of the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln,a known opponent of slavery, was elected president and in 1861 the South Secedes. The initial Secession of South Carolina was followed by the secession of Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. These eleven states eventually formed the Confederate States of America. The bombardment of Fort Sumter was the opening engagement of the American Civil War.

1865

The surrender of Robert E. Lee on April 9 1865 signalled the end of the Confederacy

1865

1865 December 6 - The Abolishment of Slavery. The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified, thus officially abolishing slavery

1898

1898-1901 The Spanish American War. On December 10, 1898 the Treaty of Paris the US annexes Puerto Rico, Guam, Philippines.

Illinois Timeline

Origin of the State name - Named after the state of Illinois derives from the Illinois River. The river was named by the French explorer, Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle, in 1679 after the Native Indians who lived in the region. The word Illinois is translated from the Indian word "iliniwok," meaning "warriors".

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