dec 3, 1818 - Illinois Joins the Union
Description:
Prior called the Illinois Territory, Illinois wanted to become a state because it reached the population requirement of 40,000 citizens (although some thought this was an inflated count) and there was a need for a free state. The initial state constitution did not really end slavery, as it allowed preexisting slaves to still be slaves, but the state was considered free because it prevented the introduction of more slaves. The state was known for having terrible Black Laws, stripping all blacks of their civil rights. Later on, immigration increased in the state around the 1840s.
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