Illinois. The United States of America. James F. Kaserman Sarah J. Kaserman. "State sovereignty, National union" Springfield

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1 "State sovereignty, National union" Illinois The United States of America James F. Kaserman Sarah J. Kaserman Springfield I Save A Tree Electronic Books C 2003 I Save A Tree Inc. ISBN# X

2 Table of Contents Location 5 History before statehood 7 History since statehood 9 State government 11 State flag 13 Current facts 15 Industry today 17 State landmarks 19 Weather and land 21 Animals in Illinois 23 State bird 25 State tree 27 State flower 29 Famous people from Illinois 31 Things to do in Illinois 33 Popular sports in Illinois 35 Fast facts 37 Glossary 39 Web sites / books for information 41 Index 43 Credits 45

3 Location Illinois is a mid-western state. Rivers form its western and southern borders. The Mississippi River is to the west, separating it from Iowa and Missouri. Wisconsin and Lake Michigan form the northern border. TheWabash River joins the Ohio River and forms Illinois southeastern boundary with Kentucky and Indiana. The state capital is Springfield. It is located in the south central part of the state. Springfield 6

4 History Before Statehood Colonial French troops The Illinois region was once the home of early Indians called "moundbuilders." Manyoftheirmoundsare foundinillinoistoday. NativeAmericans later formed a union of tribes called the Illinois Confederacy. The French controlled the area from After the French and Indian War, the area was handed over to Britain. Fora while, Illinois was considered part ofvirginia. In1800, Illinois becamepartof the Indiana Territory. In1809,a separate IllinoisTerritorywascreated. Indians Head Dress 8

5 History Since Statehood Illinois became the 21st state on December 3,1818. Canals were an important part of the state history. Many people moved in to build them. The Illinois and MichiganCanal opened a waterway to the Great Lakes. About 100 years later, the St. Lawrence Fire of 1871 Seaway opened international shipping to Illinois. In 1860, Illinoisian Abraham Lincoln became President of the U.S. He issued the famous Emancipation Proclamation that freed slaves in Most of Chicago was destroyed by fire in The city rebuilt, and a World's Fair was held there in Steamboat 10

6 Government New capitol building The state government of Illinois is divided into three branches. Governor Rod Blagojevich is head of the executive branch. This branch is in charge of carrying out the laws. The legislature of I llinois is called the General Assembly. It has two parts, the Senate and House of Representatives. The third branch is the judicial branch. This branch interprets the laws. Illinois has 102 counties. Each has a local government. Gov. Rod Blagojevich 12

7 State Flag The Illinois State flag was adopted in Theflag is white with thestatesealinthemiddle. Ontheseal, an American eagle holds a shield with starsandstripesthatstand forthe original 13 states of the United States. The olive branch stands for peace. The prairie and the rising sun stand for the plains of the state of Illinois. The state's name was placed under the seal for greater recognition. 14

8 Current Facts Downtown Chicago Chicago Skyline Over 12,419,293 people live in Illinois. Thestate is ranked the 5th largest state for the number of peoplelivinginit. Illinoiscovers55,593 squaremiles. Itisrankedthe24thlargest state in total area in the United States. Illinois ranks third in the United States in the number of interstate highways. Thestateisatransportation huborcenter. Thestate'slargestinland water-system is Carlyle Lake in the southern part of the state. 16

9 Industry Today Illinois is a transportation hub because of its location. Manufacturing of machinery, electrical equipment, chemical products, metal products and transportation equipment take place in Illinois. Mining of coal, oil refining and production of chemical products are part of the economy of Illinois. Publishing and printing businesses play a key role in state commerce. Illinois is amajor agriculture state. It produces corn, soybeans, wheat, hogs, cattle and dairy products. Hog Technology lab 18

10 Landmarks Statue of Abe Lincoln New Salem State Park has recreated the town in which Abraham Lincoln lived from 1831 to A replica of the store he owned a part of, as well as the building where he studied at night, are in the park. Ulysses S. Grant, a famous Civil War general and President of the United States, lived in Galena. His home looks the same as when he lived there. It isastate memorial. Lincoln's tomb 20

11 Weather & Land Summertime on the Farm Illinois has cold winters and warm summers. Temperatures vary greatly from daytodayin the winter. Winds can cause temperatures to change as much as 20 Fahrenheit in less than an hour. The average yearly precipitation is 40inches from rain and snow. The state earned the nickname "Prairie State" from its vast grasslands. The southern region is open hills. Winter time 22

12 Animals In illinois White-tail deer Bald Eagle In the spring and fall, many birds and ducks fly to Illinois on the way north or south. The Illinois River Valley is where wild ducks feed and rest during these journeys. About285 kinds of wild birds live in Illinois. Sixty different kinds of wild animals live in Illinois. Some of these mammals include squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, muskrats and mink. The white-tail deer was named the state animal in

13 State Bird Cardinal The cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) was named the state bird in The cardinal is a member of the finch family. It is sometimescalledaredbird. The cardinal grows to about 8 inches in length and has a crest of feathers on its head. It hasabright red or orange bill. The male cardinal is mostly bright red. The female is gray or brown in color. Cardinal 26

14 State Tree Oak leaf and acorn Trunk of white oak In 1973, the white oak (Quercus alba) was named the state tree of Illinois. School children voted in a special poll to change the state tree from the native oak to white oak. Oak trees grow in many different countries. Oak trees have acorns as afruit. It is a round, smooth-shelled nut with a cap-shaped cover on one end. Oaktrees grow slowly and live for a very long time. Oak is a hardwood and is very durable. 28

15 State Flower Purple violet The purple violet (Viola sororia) was named the state flower of Illinois in Violets bloom in early spring. Theyhavesmall flowers and heart-shaped leaves.violets may be white, yellow, blue or purple in color. After blooming,theplant produces small,bud-likeflowerson short stems. Theseproducemostof theseeds. The showy flowers are edible and are often used as decorations on cakes. Purple violet 30

16 Famous People Ernest Hemingway IllinoiswasthehometoAbraham Lincoln, one of the greatest of AmericanPresidents. Thestateis referred to as the "Land of Lincoln." President Ulysses S. Grant was also from Illinois. Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th U.S. President, was born in Tampico. Other Illinoisans include authors Carl Sandburg and Ernest Hemingway and industrialists John Deere, Cyrus McCormick, George Pullman and William Wrigley. Ulysses S. Grant 32

17 Things to Do In Illinois Canoeing Illinois has a sandy shoreline along Lake Michigan with beaches and wooded parks that people enjoy. Illinois also has many forest preserves and state parks. The lakes and rivers of Illinois are popular for fishing, boating and swimming. During the winter, many of these lakes allow for ice skating and other winter sports. Chicago is famous for museums and sports events. The Zoological Park is one of the finest in the nation. Skiing 34

18 Sports In Illinois Fly fishing The state has many professional sports teams: Chicago Bears of the NFL, Chicago Black Hawks of the NHL, Chicago Bulls of the NBA, Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs of the MLB. Chicago Speedway hosts NASCAR, CART and IRL racing events. U.S. Cellular Field Professional horse racing, harness racing, boxing and wrestling also draw many fans. Some of the outdoor activities include camping, fishing, boating, hunting and hiking. 36

19 Fast Facts Fountain,downtown Chicago Governor: Rod Blagojevich Capital: Springfield Size: 55,593 square miles,24th in the U.S. Population:12,419,293 people,5th in the U.S. Major cities: Chicago,Rockford,Aurora, Naperville,Peoria,Springfield and Joliet. Nickname: "Prairie State" Stateanimal: white-tail deer Statebird: cardinal Stateflower: purple violet State tree: white oak State song: "Illinois" Statemotto: "State Sovereignty, NationalUnion" Baby turtles 38

20 Glossary bill, the horny part of the jaws of a bird; a beak. canal, an artificial waterway built for shipping, travel or irrigation. durable, capable of withstanding hard use. mammal, any of a class of warmblooded vertebrates that include human beings and all other animals that nourish their young with milk produced by mammary gland. mid-western, a region of the northcentral U.S. around the Great Lakes. mound-builders,native Americans who built mounds or hills for burial and meeting purposes. poll, the casting and recording of votes in an election. recognition, acceptance as true or valid. replica, a copy or reproduction of something. union, the act of uniting or joining together. 40

21 Link1 Link2 Link3 Link4 Link5 Links & Books For more information Title: TheWorld Book Encyclopedia Publisher: World Book, Inc. Copyright: 2002 Title: The Kid'sWorld Almanac of the United States Author: Dr.Thomas G. Aylesworth Publisher: World Almanac Copyright: 1990 Title: Exploring the 50 States Author: Marcie Anderson Publisher: Willowisp Press, Inc. Copyright: 1983 Visit our 42

22 Index Blagojevich, Rod,11 cardinal, 25,26 canal, 9 deer, white-tail, 24 Grant, Ulysses S., 20, 31 hub, 16, 17 Illinois Territory, 8 Lincoln, Abraham, 10, 19, 31 mound-builders, 7 oak, white, 27 prairie, 14, 22 region, 7, 22 violet, purple, 29 44

23 Credits Written by James F. Kaserman Sarah J. Kaserman Edited by Linda Coyner Produced by Robert Rance Technologies Doug Meyers Design Dan Mader Photos credits, Illinois Department of Natural Resources I Save A Tree Inc. reserves the right to remove or exchange any photo/illustration at any time without notice. 46