Chicago “Five Themes of Geography” “Site and Situation” Mr. Stepek

LOCATION Absolute or “Exact” location Relative location 42°N, 88°W Describes where in reference to someplace else. Chicago lies between two watersheds Chicago is on the southern tip of Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes Chicago is located in the middle of the United States Insert a picture of an animal and or plant found in your country.

Mississippi and Great Lakes Watersheds Chicago was originally “desirable” as a portage site between two watersheds for travelers by canoe. “Portage Park”

Chicago’s role was as coordinator of north-south and east-west flows lumber traveled from north to south

Chicago’s role was as coordinator of north-south and east-west flows hardware had to be directed from east to west

Situation clue = “Player with Railroads” “Nation’s Freight Handler”

Early Railroad hub

Situation = Chicago is a major transportation hub

Situation clue = “Stacker of Wheat”

Situation clue = “Hog Butcher to the World”

LOCATION Absolute or “Exact” location Relative location 42°N, 88°W Describes where in reference to someplace else. Chicago lies between two watersheds Chicago is on the southern tip of Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes Chicago is centrally located within the U.S. Chicago is on the eastern edge of the agricultural heartland Insert a picture of an animal and or plant found in your country.

Situation = Major center of commodity exchanges

LOCATION Absolute or “Exact” location Relative location 42°N, 88°W Describes where in reference to someplace else. Chicago lies between two watersheds Chicago is on the southern tip of Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes Chicago is centrally located within the U.S. Chicago is on the eastern edge of the agricultural heartland Chicago is located near abundant coal fields. Chicago is located close to the Iron Range of Minnesota (1st) Insert a picture of an animal and or plant found in your country.

Chicago = “the City that Works”, “the City of Big Shoulders”, “Tool Maker” Situation = Chicago was a center of heavy industry!

Region: commonalities between places 3 ways to discuss region Formal or uniform Illinois, city of Chicago, wards, townships, CPS, etc. homogeneous laws, taxation, policy, etc. prairie, watershed homogeneous environment Functional or nodal transportation hub (RRs, Air travel) commodity exchanges with global hinterland (area of service) regional center of finance, higher order services Perceptual or vernacular “Rust Belt” = decaying industrial base

Place: how can a location be described? Physical climate and vegetation temperate prairie/forest terrain/landform flat lake shore built terrain Urban density gradient skyscrapers Bungalows grid-pattern centralized transit system

Place: how can a location be described? People demographics 2.7 million (Chicago) 9 million + (Metro area) 3rd largest in U.S. 32% non-Hispanic White, 33% Black, 29% Hispanic, 6% Asian population/cultural stats multiethnic immigrants looking for industrial jobs Economic stats Situation = Diversified economic base Not a “one-trick” pony (see Detroit) Commodities, Industry, Tourism, Finance, Technology If a country, Chicagoland would have the 21st largest economy $531b is equivalent to Switzerland or Poland or Belgium’s GDP

Interaction: the relationship between humans and their environment. Modification Adaptation How do humans  their environment to better suit themselves, examples: How do humans  to better fit into their environment. Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal Helps industry thrive (industrial center situation) Chicago city planning Burnham Plan = open lakefront Grant Park/Streeterville landfill Cities “front yard”, the “bean” Museums, McCormick Place, Navy Pier Chicago River flow reversed Drinking water and clean beaches Situation = Tourism! Chicago is beautiful/clean

Movement Industry attracts people to Chicago “Titans of Industry” George Pullman = railcars, model worker society McCormick reaper Sears catalog Germans Labor movement, 8-hour work day, anarchism, socialism Haymarket riot = May Day

Movement Industry attracts people to Chicago “Titans of Industry” George Pullman = railcars, model worker society McCormick reaper Sears catalog Germans Labor movement, 8-hour work day, anarchism, socialism Haymarket riot = May Day African-Americans Great Migration African- Americans from South move North Attracted to industrial jobs

Movement Industry attracts people to Chicago “Titans of Industry” George Pullman = railcars, model worker society McCormick reaper Sears catalog Germans Labor movement, 8-hour work day, anarchism, socialism Haymarket riot = May Day African-Americans Great Migration African- Americans from South move North Attracted to industrial jobs Chicago gets African-Americans from Mississippi Delta region makes Chicago the “Blues” capital of world