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In the early 1600's, the Illiniwek tribes settled in Illinois and the area that later became Chicago. There were wild onoins which they called "chicagoua."
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On a mission from France, Jolliet and Marquette were searching for a short-cut to the Pacific Ocean. Though they didn't find the Pacific, they did like what they found in the area known as Chicagou. The many beaver, fox, deer, rabbit, and muskrat, hunted by the natives, were considered very valuable by Europeans.
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For over a hundred years after Jolliet and Marquette first came to the Chicago area, the Potawatomi traded furs with Eurpoeans for goods like axes, fabric, knives, and muskets.
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In the 1690's, the Potawatomi came to live in the area that later became Chicago. The Potawatomi traded furs with Chicago's first European Settlers.
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By 1779, DuSable moved with his family and started a successful trading post in Chicago at the mouth of the Chicago River. The trading post was a booming business trading all kinds of goods to native tribes, trappers, and other traders coming through the area. Because of the successful trading post, other settlers moved into the area. The success of the trading post created the very first settelment in Chicagou. For this reason, DuSable is known as the Father of Chicago.
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A treaty was signed by the United States Government and several Indian tribes. In this treaty, the native groups agreed to give land to the US governemtn in exchange for goods and money. This treaty included "one piece of land six miles square, at the mouth of the Chikago river, emptying into the southwest end of Lake Michigan, where a fort formerly stood."
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In 1800, DuSable sold his trading post and moved to what is now St. Charles, Missouri.
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American Soldiers built Fort Dearborn near the trading post. it helped protect the settlement from attacks.
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The United States formed the Illinois Territory from lans that is now Illinois and other nearby states.
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The United States, in an attempt to keep the Northwest Territory and gain control of Canada, declared war on Great Britain. Two years later, the war ended with each country keeping the land it had to begin with.
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Captain Nathan Heald is ordered to evacuate Fort Dearborn. All men, women, and children prepared for the 200 mile journey. 30 members of the Miami tribe would escort the group to safety. The Americans were warned that the Potawatomi were planning to attack them as they left.
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The 96 Americans that evacuated the Fort are surprised by 500 Potawatomi on horseback, armed tomahawks, scalping knives, and muskets. 66 Americans and 15 Native Americans were killed. Last, Fort Dearborn was burned to the ground by the Potawatomi.
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Americans begin to slowly return to the Chicago area after Fort Dearborn is rebuilt.
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Illinois becomes a state. Kaskaskia was named the state capital.
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Workers build a canal connecting Lake Michigan to the Illinois River.
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The city of Chicago is born!!! Chicago recieves its first city charter, a legal paper from the state government making Chicago a city with a local government.
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By 1840, the fort was no longer needed. It was torn down in 1857.
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On October 8, 187, Chicago caught fire. Strong winds pushed the fire all over the city. The fire burned more than a day until rain helped put out the flames. More then three square miles of the city had been burned. About 300 people died.
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From May 1 to October 30, 1893, the World's Fair, named the Columbian exposition, was held in Jackson Park in Chicago. The idea of the fair was to show off all of the progress that the city had made after the big fire.
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On May 11, 1894, 90 percent of Pullman workers went on strike. The strike ended on July 12th and workers were forced to go back to work.
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In 1884, William Jenney built the first steel-frame skyscraper, the Home Insurance Company Building, in Chicago.
