In 1830, the young State of Illinois – only 12
years old – was the fifth smallest in the nation in terms of population. It was a relatively unknown and mostly
undeveloped land with an uncertain future and not necessarily destined for any
measure of greatness. By 1860, Illinois would grow more than tenfold
to become the nation’s fourth largest state, full of energy and promise and a
microcosm of the entire nation: a mix of northerners and southerners,
native-born and immigrants, rich and poor, liberal and conservative, urban and
rural. From this state Abraham Lincoln would grow to become the President-elect of a nation in
crisis, on the verge of disunion and perhaps even civil war, the leader who
would need to try to keep a divided nation (and state) together, yet without
abandoning his principles.
This is the story
of how Illinois, and Lincoln, grew from obscurity to greatness during Illinois’
early years. R