• How do you learn best?– Writing– Reading– Lecture– Worksheets
The Northwest Ordinance and Illinois in America
Illinois as a Territory
• Not given the same rights as a full state• Considered part of the Northwest Territory
Debate Over Organization
Conditions in Illinois
• No currency• Indians outnumber whites• Land ownership is a big problem– Shady speculators like Edgar and Morrison own
vast tracts of land
Northwest Ordinance
• Art. 5 “…whenever any of the said States shall have sixty thousand free inhabitants therein, such State shall be admitted, by its delegates, into the Congress of the United States”
1816
• Indiana becomes the second state carved out of the Northwest Territory
• Still no movement for statehood in Illinois
Daniel Pope Cook• Political family• Moves to IL in 1815• Purchases interest in
Illinois Herald• Uses it as a sounding
board for his case for statehood
Argument for Statehood
• Territorial governor has too much power• Territory’s General Assembly powerless• Representatives in US Congress has no voting
rights• Land values will soar
• BUT inhabitants would have to pay salaries of public officials
Troubles Obtaining Statehood
• States need to have a certain voting population to become a state
• Illinois only had 220 land owners out of 12,000 inhabitants– Leads Illinois to expand voting rights to all taxpaying men
Movement for Statehood
• Cook addresses state legislature• Estimates population 40,000• Submits proposal to Congress to consider
Nathaniel Pope• Illinois’ territorial
representative• Cook’s uncle• Head of the committee to
consider proposal for statehood
• Amends the proposal– Raises northern boundary– Allocates money to
education
Next Steps
• State convention held in Kaskaskia• Crafty census taking reports a population of
40,258• State constitution rushed to Congress– Only hang-up being how to handle slavery
Electing a State Government
• Shadrach Bond – Govorner• Pierre Menard – Lt. Govorner• John McLean – U.S. House• Ninian Edwards – Senator• Jesse B. Thomas - Senator
• Territorial capital was in Kaskaskia• Choose Vandalia for state capitol
Conclusion
• Early statehood is rough– Financially unstable– Disease– Unresolved issue of slavery– Continued clashes with American Indian tribes
• What were the steps to get from territory to becoming a full state in Illinois?
• 3 paragraphs
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