History Chicago

1 history

1.1 beginnings
1.2 founding , 19th century
1.3 20th , 21st centuries

1.3.1 1900 1939
1.3.2 1940 1979
1.3.3 1980 present

history


beginnings

traditional potawatomi regalia on display @ field museum of natural history.

the name chicago derived french rendering of miami-illinois word shikaakwa, known botanists allium tricoccum. first known reference site of current city of chicago checagou robert de lasalle around 1679 in memoir. henri joutel, in journal of 1688, noted wild garlic, called chicagoua , grew abundantly in area. according diary of late september 1687:

when arrived @ said place called chicagou which, according able learn of it, has taken name because of quantity of garlic grows in forests in region.

in mid-18th century, area inhabited native american tribe known potawatomi, had taken place of miami , sauk , fox peoples. first known non-indigenous permanent settler in chicago jean baptiste point du sable. du sable of african , french descent , arrived in 1780s. commonly known founder of chicago .

in 1795, following northwest indian war, area part of chicago turned on united states military post native tribes in accordance treaty of greenville. in 1803, united states army built fort dearborn, destroyed in 1812 in battle of fort dearborn , later rebuilt. ottawa, ojibwe, , potawatomi tribes had ceded additional land united states in 1816 treaty of st. louis. potawatomi forcibly removed land after treaty of chicago in 1833.

founding , 19th century

on august 12, 1833, town of chicago organized population of 200. within 7 years grew more 4,000 people. on june 15, 1835, first public land sales began edmund dick taylor u.s. receiver of public monies. city of chicago incorporated on saturday, march 4, 1837 , several decades world s fastest growing city.

as site of chicago portage, city became important transportation hub between eastern , western united states. chicago s first railway, galena , chicago union railroad, , illinois , michigan canal opened in 1848. canal allowed steamboats , sailing ships on great lakes connect mississippi river.

a flourishing economy brought residents rural communities , immigrants abroad. manufacturing , retail , finance sectors became dominant, influencing american economy. chicago board of trade (established 1848) listed first ever standardized exchange traded forward contracts, called futures contracts.

an artist s rendering of great chicago fire of 1871

in 1850s, chicago gained national political prominence home of senator stephen douglas, champion of kansas–nebraska act , popular sovereignty approach issue of spread of slavery. these issues helped propel illinoisan, abraham lincoln, national stage. lincoln nominated in chicago president @ 1860 republican national convention. defeated douglas in general election, , set stage american civil war.

to accommodate rapid population growth , demand better sanitation, city improved infrastructure. in february 1856, chicago s common council approved chesbrough s plan build united states first comprehensive sewerage system. project raised of central chicago new grade. while elevating chicago, , @ first improving city s health, untreated sewage , industrial waste flowed chicago river, lake michigan, polluting city s primary freshwater source.

the city responded tunneling 2 miles (3 km) out lake michigan newly-built water cribs. in 1900, problem of sewage contamination largely resolved when city completed major engineering feat. reversed flow of chicago river water flowed away lake michigan rather it. project began construction , improvement of illinois , michigan canal, , completed chicago sanitary , ship canal connects illinois river, flows mississippi river.

in 1871, great chicago fire destroyed area of 4 miles long , 1 mile wide, large section of city @ time. of city, including railroads , stockyards, survived intact, , ruins of previous wooden structures arose more modern constructions of steel , stone. these set precedent worldwide construction. during rebuilding period, chicago constructed world s first skyscraper in 1885, using steel-skeleton construction.

the city grew in size , population incorporating many neighboring townships between 1851 , 1920, largest annexation happening in 1889, 5 townships joining city, including hyde park township, comprises of south side of chicago , far southeast of chicago, , jefferson township, makes of chicago s northwest side. desire join city driven municipal services city provide residents.

court of honor @ world s columbian exposition in 1893

chicago s flourishing economy attracted huge numbers of new immigrants europe , migrants eastern united states. of total population in 1900, more 77% either foreign-born or born in united states of foreign parentage. germans, irish, poles, swedes , czechs made two-thirds of foreign-born population (by 1900, whites 98.1% of city s population).

labor conflicts followed industrial boom , rapid expansion of labor pool, including haymarket affair on may 4, 1886. concern social problems among chicago s immigrant poor led jane addams , ellen gates starr found hull house in 1889. programs developed there became model new field of social work.

during 1870s , 1880s, chicago attained national stature leader in movement improve public health. city, , later state laws, upgraded standards medical profession , fought urban epidemics of cholera, smallpox, , yellow fever both passed , enforced. these laws became templates public health reform in other cities , states.

the city established many large, well-landscaped municipal parks, included public sanitation facilities. chief advocate improving public health in chicago dr. john h. rauch, m.d.. rauch established plan chicago s park system in 1866. created lincoln park closing cemetery filled shallow graves, , in 1867, in response outbreak of cholera helped establish new chicago board of health. ten years later, became secretary , president of first illinois state board of health, carried out of activities in chicago.

in 19th century, chicago became nation s railroad center, , 1910 on 20 railroads operated passenger service out of 6 different downtown terminals. in 1883, chicago s railway managers needed general time convention, developed standardized system of north american time zones. system telling time spread throughout continent.

in 1893, chicago hosted world s columbian exposition on former marshland @ present location of jackson park. exposition drew 27.5 million visitors, , considered influential world s fair in history. university of chicago, formerly @ location, moved same south side location in 1892. term midway fair or carnival referred midway plaisance, strip of park land still runs through university of chicago campus , connects washington , jackson parks.

20th , 21st centuries

men outside soup kitchen in great depression (1931)


1900 1939

during world war , 1920s there major expansion in industry. availability of jobs attracted african-americans southern united states. between 1910 , 1930, african-american population of chicago increased dramatically, 44,103 233,903. great migration had immense cultural impact, called chicago black renaissance, part of new negro movement, in art, literature, , music. continuing racial tensions , violence, such chicago race riot of 1919, occurred.

the ratification of 18th amendment constitution in 1919 made production , sale (including exportation) of alcoholic beverages illegal in united states. ushered in beginning of known gangster era, time spans 1919 until 1933 when prohibition repealed. 1920s saw gangsters, including al capone, dion o banion, bugs moran , tony accardo battle law enforcement , each other on streets of chicago during prohibition era. chicago location of infamous st. valentine s day massacre in 1929, when al capone sent men gun down members of rival gang, north side, led bugs moran.

in 1924, chicago first american city have homosexual-rights organization, society human rights. organization produced first american publication homosexuals, friendship , freedom. police , political pressure caused organization disband.

in 1933, chicago mayor anton cermak fatally wounded in miami, florida during failed assassination attempt on president-elect franklin d. roosevelt. in 1933 , 1934, city celebrated centennial hosting century of progress international exposition worlds fair. theme of fair technological innovation on century since chicago s founding.

1940 1979

on december 2, 1942, physicist enrico fermi conducted world s first controlled nuclear reaction @ university of chicago part of top-secret manhattan project. led creation of atomic bomb united states, used in world war ii in 1945.

mayor richard j. daley, democrat, elected in 1955, in era of machine politics. in 1956 city conducted last major expansion when annexed land under o hare airport. small portion of dupage county lies within city limits.

by 1960s, white residents in several neighborhoods left city suburban areas – in many northern american cities, process known white flight – african americans continued move beyond black belt. while home loan discriminatory redlining against blacks continued, real estate industry practiced became known blockbusting, changing racial composition of whole neighborhoods. structural changes in industry, such globalization , job outsourcing, caused heavy job losses lower skilled workers. in 1966, martin luther king jr. , albert raby led chicago freedom movement, culminated in agreements between mayor richard j. daley , movement leaders.

protesters in grant park outside 1968 democratic national convention.

two years later, city hosted tumultuous 1968 democratic national convention, featured physical confrontations both inside , outside convention hall, anti-war protesters, journalists , bystanders being beaten police. major construction projects, including sears tower (now known willis tower, in 1974 became world s tallest building), university of illinois @ chicago, mccormick place, , o hare international airport, undertaken during richard j. daley s tenure. in 1979, jane byrne, city s first female mayor, elected. helped reduce crime in cabrini-green housing project , led chicago s school system out of financial crisis.

1980 present

in 1983, harold washington became first black mayor of city of chicago. washington s first term in office directed attention poor , neglected minority neighborhoods. re‑elected in 1987 died of heart attack after. washington succeeded 6th ward alderman eugene sawyer, elected chicago city council , served until special election.

richard m. daley, son of richard j. daley, elected in 1989. accomplishments included improvements parks , creating incentives sustainable development, closing meigs field in middle of night , destroying runways. after standing re-election 5 times, , becoming chicago s longest serving mayor, richard m. daley declined run seventh term.

in 1992, construction accident near kinzie street bridge produced breach connecting chicago river tunnel below, part of abandoned freight tunnel system extending throughout downtown loop district. tunnels filled 250 million gallons (1,000,000 m) of water, affecting buildings throughout district , forcing shutdown of electrical power. area shut down 3 days , buildings did not reopen weeks; losses estimated @ $1.95 billion.

on february 23, 2011, former illinois congressman , white house chief of staff, rahm emanuel, won mayoral election, after defeating challenges not chicago resident , beating 5 rivals 55 percent of vote, , sworn in mayor on may 16, 2011.