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Illinoisans have never taken a back seat to anyone – whether it’s our cities and towns or our creativity, inventions, or politics.
Many of our stand-out people and places are renowned throughout the country. Here’s your chance to become acquainted with a selection of them and some of Chicago’s most noteworthy places as well.
◀ As a young man, Abraham Lincoln moved with his family to Illinois. He started out in Macon County. Then he moved to New Salem. Lincoln and his family finally settled in Springfield and stayed there until he was elected president. Early in life, Lincoln was a handyman and a store clerk. In 1834, he was elected to state government, and at that time he began to study law. Lincoln was a one-term representative from Illinois in the U.S. Congress. He ran for president in 1860 and 1864 and won. In 1955, Illinois officially became the “Land of Lincoln.”
Tammy Duckworth is from a family that had many difficulties. At 16, she worked to help keep the family from becoming homeless. To save money for college, she joined the ROTC – the Reserve Officers Training Corps, an organization that prepares students to be officers in the military. Duckworth studied at Northern Illinois University and joined the Illinois National Guard. In 2004, she was sent to fly a helicopter in the Iraq War. When a grenade exploded in her lap, Duckworth lost both her legs and partial use of her right arm, but that didn’t stop her. Since 2013, Duckworth has been in the U.S. Congress representing Illinois. ▶
Think Piece!
What lessons can you draw from the lives of Abraham Lincoln and Tammy Duckworth?
◀ Barak Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. As a young man, he moved to Chicago, where he worked with low-income communities. Obama won two terms as an Illinois state senator in 1996 and 1998. In 2004, he won his race to be senator from Illinois in the U.S. Congress. Four years later, he became the first Black president of the Unites States and won a second term in 2012. During his time in office, Obama signed legislation that encouraged fair pay for all workers as well as the Affordable Care Act that greatly improved access to healthcare.
Reflection
Reflecting on Obama’s election, do you think it was an important moment in U.S. history? Explain your ideas.
More from Illinois
Enrico Fermi was born in Rome and became a U.S. citizen. While a professor of physics at the University of Chicago, he led a team of scientists to build the world’s first nuclear reactor.
You could call Millennium Park a rooftop garden. It’s built on top of two underground parking garages in the midst of Chicago’s business center. Cloud Gate is a sculpture that reflects views of the city’s skyline. The sculpture is nicknamed the “Bean” because of its shape.
