There is one man to blame for Chicago being a part of Illinois

If you are one of the people who hate that Chicago is a part of Illinois, and thinks that Illinois would be better off without Chicago, then you need to complain to Nathaniel Pope because he is to blame.

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I just read a fascinating article from pjstar.com, it is about how Chicago almost became a part of Wisconsin and it is all because of one man that Chicago became a part of Illinois, Nathaniel Pope. The article outlines how in the early days of drawing boundary lines for territories to become states it was Pope who represented the area as a congressional delegate fought hard to move the border of Illinois north 50 miles to include the plot of land that Chicago now sits on. In the article they say...

"The move forever changed not only Illinois but also the nation. The loss of that Republican-heavy chunk of land might have altered the political destiny of Abraham Lincoln and thus his influence on the Civil War. Wisconsin could have enjoyed a one-two economic power of hosting not just Milwaukee but also Chicago. And Peoria might have been left as the state’s core transportation hub and overall focal point."

To read the entire article for yourself click here!

I love reading up on history like this because it sets such a good reminder for us all living in 2022 just how different our lives could be if certain decisions were made differently. The fact that Pope fought for that land to be in Illinois lead to Chicago being in Illinois, which lead to helping Lincoln get elected, which helped the North win the Civil War, which leads to so many things we know today is just fascinating to me.

So yes you may be one of those people who hates Chicago and considered it a cancer on the state of Illinois and to be honest, that argument has validity, but Chicago being a part of Illinois dates back to the beginning of our state and not only helped to shape our state as we know it today but possibly is the reason we are the country that we are today.

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