Portal:Illinois
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Illinois is a state of the United States and the 21st state admitted to the Union. Illinois is the most populous state in the Midwest and the fifth most populous in the nation. Its balance of the metropolis of Chicago and its suburbs in the northeast, as well as rural areas, small industrial cities, and the coal mines of the south give it a highly diverse economic base. Its central location, connecting the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River via the Illinois River, made it a transportation hub for 150 years. About 2,000 Native American hunters and a small number of French villagers inhabited the area at the time of the American Revolution. American settlers began arriving from Kentucky in the 1810s; they achieved statehood in 1818. Yankees arrived a little later and dominated the north, founding the future city of Chicago in the 1830s. The coming of the railroads in the 1850s made highly profitable the rich prairie farmlands in central Illinois, attracting large numbers of immigrant farmers from Germany and Sweden. Northern Illinois provided major support for Illinoisans Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant during the American Civil War. By 1900, factories were being rapidly built in the northern cities, along with coal mines in central and southern areas. This industrialization attracted large numbers of immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe, and also led to the state's material contribution as a major arsenal in both world wars. In addition to immigrants from Europe, large numbers of blacks left the cotton fields of the South to come to Chicago, where they developed a renowned jazz culture. Uncle Tupelo was an alternative country music group from Belleville, Illinois, active between 1987 and 1994. Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, and Mike Heidorn formed the band after the lead singer of their previous band, The Primitives, left to attend to college. The trio recorded three albums for Rockville Records, before signing with Sire Records and expanding to a five-piece. Shortly after the release of the band's major label debut album Anodyne, Farrar announced his decision to leave the band due to a soured relationship with his co-songwriter Tweedy. Uncle Tupelo split on May 1, 1994, after completing a farewell tour. Following the breakup, Farrar formed Son Volt, while the remaining members continued as Wilco. Although Uncle Tupelo broke up before it achieved commercial success, the band is renowned for its impact on the alternative country music scene. The group's first album, No Depression, became a byword for the genre and influenced artists such as Whiskeytown. Uncle Tupelo's sound was unlike popular country music of the time, drawing inspiration from styles as diverse as the hardcore punk of The Minutemen and the country instrumentation and harmony of the Carter Family and Hank Williams. Farrar and Tweedy lyrics frequently referenced Middle America and the working class of Belleville. (Read more...)  Ronald Reagan was the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975) and the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989). Born in Illinois, Reagan moved to Hollywood in the 1930s, where he became a successful actor, President of the Screen Actor's Guild, and a spokesman for General Electric. Reagan was a prominent New Deal Democrat until switching parties in 1962, becoming a Republican. After delivering his famous "Time for Choosing" speech, he was persuaded to seek the California Governorship, which he won in 1966 and again in 1970. Defeated for the Republican presidential nomination in 1968 and 1976, he won the nomination, as well as the election, in 1980. Reagan instituted his policy of "peace through strength" in an arms race with the Soviet Union. He rejected détente and confronted Communism, famously portraying the USSR as an "Evil Empire" and supporting anti-Communist movements worldwide. Reagan negotiated with Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev to shrink both countries' nuclear arsenals and help bring a peaceful end to the Cold War. Reagan left office in 1989 and was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1994. He died in 2004 at the age of ninety-three. (Read more...)
 Collaborate: Peoria, Illinois • Jay Pritzker Pavilion Create: Clare, Illinois • Crow Island School • Farm Creek Section • Glendale, Illinois • Kennicott Grove • Marshall Field III • History of European exploration in Illinois • Kincaid Site • Victor Lawson • Pre-Colombian history of Illinois • Tomek House Expand: Casimir Pulaski Day • Democratic Party of Illinois • Economy of Illinois • Flag of Illinois • "Illinois" • Illinois Constitution • Illinois Republican Party Upload: Requested photographs  The fifth location of the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. Built in a Greek Revival style, the building is the first capitol building that Abraham Lincoln worked in. The building also served at the Sangamon County courthouse from 1868 to 1961. Photo credit: User:Agriculture
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