History of Illinois

I.     Course Prefix/Number: HIS 240

       Course Name: History of Illinois

       Credits: 3 (3 lecture; 0 lab)

II.    Prerequisite


III.   Course (Catalog) Description

Course surveys the history of Illinois, with emphasis on how growth of industrialization and urbanization has affected state development.

IV.   Learning Objectives

  1. Describe the major eras covered
  2. Describe the achievements of Illinoisans in political, cultural, and social terms
  3. Compare representative works of Illinois literature produced within this period
  4. Explain the ethnic, social, cultural, and economic diversity of Illinois and episodes of political, cultural, economic, and ethnic conflict
  5. Apply conflicting interpretations of Illinois history
  6. Describe change over time in local areas, industry, and agriculture
  7. Analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources of Illinois’ past, including local artifacts, oral testimony, books, and museum exhibits

V.    Academic Integrity and Student Conduct


• cheating,
• falsification and fabrication (lying or distorting the truth),
• helping others to cheat,
• unauthorized changes on official documents,
• any other behavior that violates academic integrity.



VI.   Sequence of Topics

  1. The Land, Native Americans, and the French

  2. The Arrival of English-Speaking Settlers and the Development of New State.
    1. Illinois’ brief membership in the British Empire
    2. Laying the groundwork for peace and the U.S. statehood
    3. ;Pioneer problems
    4. Racial and Ethnic Conflict
  3. Antebellum Illinois

    1. Conformity and Assimilation
    2. Establishing institutions
    3. Economic integration
    4. Rails and farm implements bring an agricultural revolution
  4. Illinois during the Civil War and Reconstruction

    1. The Lincoln era
    2. Illinois after the Civil War
    3. Chicago and urbanization
  5. An Urban State with Urban Problems

    1. Chicago: one image of Illinois
    2. Urban settings for historical dramas
    3. Local politics in the “Gilded Age”
  6. Twentieth-century Illinois

    1. Illinois from the Progressive era to World War II
    2. The post-war period and suburbanization
    3. Late twentieth-century Illinois

VII.  Methods of Instruction

Lecture and class discussion will be used extensively.  Visual media and clippings from newspapers will be incorporated in class.

VIII. Course Practices Required

Students will be required to:
  1. Read a standard textbook, as well as research materials
  2. Write outside of a class the equivalent of 12-14 double-spaced typed pages, in the form of a term paper, summaries of Journal articles, short research papers, and/or other kinds of writing.


IX.   Instructional Materials


Standard works in the Illinois and local history will be used.  Currently, the following texts are used:

Robert Howard, Illinois: A History of the Prairie State.

Wheeling Historical Society, Wheeling Through The Years, An Oral History of Wheeling, edited by Barbara and Robert McIntyre, 1987.

X.    Methods of Evaluating Student Progress



XI.   Other Course Information

Support Services: Tutoring in history is available at Instructional Support Services.



Resources and support for
  • pregnancy-related and parenting accommodations; and
  • victims of sexual misconduct
can be found at www.oakton.edu/title9/.
