 
The bald eagle represents the United States. In its beak it holds a streamer with the state motto on it. The state motto means that Illinois governs itself under the government of the United States. In the eagle’s claws is a shield with thirteen bars and thirteen stars, this represents the first thirteen states. The two dates on the boulder are the dates of Statehood and of the State Seal. The ground around it symbolizes the state’s rich prairie soil.
History
In 1673 the first recorded Europeans visited Illinois.
They were Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet
Cahokia was settled in 1699 by French Settlers making it the first Illinois town.
The British acquired Illinois is 1763 as a result of the French and Indian Wars.
The largest city in Illinois is Chicago
(population apprx 2.8 million people)
Aurora has apprx 168 thousand.
Other well populated Illinois cities include;
Rockford 153,000
Naperville 142,000
Joliet 136,000
and Springfield 116,000.
There are 102 counties in Illinois with a total square mile footage of 55,584.
The geographic center is in Logan county.
Illinois is the 5th most populated state in the nation.
51% of it's residents are female while 49% are male.
73.5% are white, 15.1% are black, .2% are American Indian,
3.4% are Asian and 12.3% are Hispanic.
Illinois was the first state to ratify the 13th Amendment.
This was the amendment that abolished slavery.
Illinois is the home to the first McDonald's,
Metropolis- home to Superman, the world's largest public library,
and home of the first modern internet browser (Mosaic). |
