History of Chicago The Early World of Chigagou

How Chicago got it’s name Chigagou = wild garlic place There is a wild grass that grows in the area that smells like garlic/onions – natvies named the land after the wild grass

Description of Chigagou  Inhospitable Land was swampy – wet and muddy Land was swampy – wet and muddy Infertile soil – short planting season Infertile soil – short planting season Long, bitter, and cold winters Long, bitter, and cold winters Flat landscape – not many hills and trees to offer protection from the winter winds Flat landscape – not many hills and trees to offer protection from the winter winds Winter temps below zero – windchills 20 below Winter temps below zero – windchills 20 below

Native Americans in the area  Came from Siberia – across the Bering Strait, through Alaska, Canada and then south  Because of the weather and inhospitable land, most natives didn’t settle in the Chigagou area

 Most natives used Chigagou as a meeting place or lived close to the Mississippi River

Natives that lived here  Illini Indians (U of Illinios named after them) – no major settlement here – conquered by the Iroquois (didn’t remain here)  Miami Indians – moved in after the Illini As described by the French – friendly, dark, strong, very little clothing, and covered with tattoos As described by the French – friendly, dark, strong, very little clothing, and covered with tattoos

 Miami leave the area about 1800 for warmer territory south  After the Miami, the Potawatomi – the last tribe to live in this area – came from northern Wisconsin Multicultural – consisted of several different indian tribes Multicultural – consisted of several different indian tribes Because of the land and climate, no major Native American settlement was established – but Europeans saw the area differently

European view of Chigagou  It didn’t matter to Europeans that Chigagou was cold, swampy, flat, and windy – they liked Chigagou because it was located on a mini-continental divide  Continental Divide - raised land that allows water to flow in opposite directions

At Chigagou, waterways east run east and waterways west run west – which allows for easier travel to Atlantic Ocean(east) and Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico(west)

Europeans in Chigagou  If there was a way to get from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River, it would mean easier travel from Europe to the interior of North America  European settlers discovered a marshy area about 6 miles from present-day downtown that was the center of the mini- continental divide – where east and west flowing waterways met – this was called The Portage

The Portage  East from the portage flowed a lazy, shallow river that connected to Lake Michigan  West from the portage flowed the Des Plaines River, which dumped into the Illinois River, which flowed to the Mississippi River

Europe to Gulf of Mexico  To get from Europe to the Gulf of Mexico Atlantic Ocean > St. Lawrence River > Great Lakes > to Chicago portage > Des Plaines River > Illinois River > Mississippis River > Gulf of Mexico Atlantic Ocean > St. Lawrence River > Great Lakes > to Chicago portage > Des Plaines River > Illinois River > Mississippis River > Gulf of Mexico

Europe in America  British established settlements in the Northeast (Jamestown, Raleigh, Pennsylvania, etc..)  Spain claimed lands and established settlements in Florida and the southwest (California, Texas, Arizona, etc…)  French mainly only sent missionaries and fur trappers to America

Differences between British and French French  Sent missionaries to convert natives to Catholicism  Sent fur trappers to hunt for beaver (for their pelts –skin)  Didn’t establish cities British  Create self-producing settlements  Locate natural resources to ship back to England  Stayed within 80 miles of the Atlantic Ocean

First Europeans to see Chigagou Jacques Marquette Jesuit missionary Jesuit missionary Mid-thirties Mid-thirties Hoped to convert natives to Christianity Hoped to convert natives to Christianity Louis Joliet French explorer French explorer Under 30 years old Under 30 years old Wanted to map the unknown interior of America and claim new land for France Wanted to map the unknown interior of America and claim new land for France

Marquette and Joliet’s journey  Explored Wisconsin area for about a month  Located the Mississippi River and canoed south down the river as far as the Arkansas River (they concluded that the Mississippi River emptied into the Gulf of Mexico – not the Pacific Ocean)

Problems for Marquette and Joliet  Now that they had canoed down the river, they had to come back north – summertime and it was very hot  They had to paddle (no motors)  The river flowed south so they were going against the current  Marquette suffered from dysentery (severe diarrhea cuased by unsanitary conditions)

 Marquette and Joliet had five other travelers helping in their journey - one of them was a young, native American boy  This young boy suggested to Marquette and Joliet to, instead of going all the way the Mississippi River to Wisconsin, travel east on the Illinois River to the Des Plaines River to the Portage to the Chicago River and finally to Lake Michigan (this was a major short cut)  This allows Joliet to map the Chicago area

Marquette and Joliet in Chigagou  First white men to see Chigagou  Identified the portage as critical for travel to the interior of the continent  Marquette returned to Chicago in 1674 to teach the native Americans  He becomes snowed in, gets sick, and dies in 1675

Joliet beliefs for Chigagou  Since Marquette was occupied in teaching and converting natives to Christianity, he didn’t see Chigagou as a strategic location  Not so for Joliet – he wrote to France suggesting a canal be built through the portage and for colonies to be established in the area  He predicted this would be very beneficial and provide a great advantage to France over other European counties

France’s response to Joliet  ARE YOU CRAZY  France didn’t have the man power, money, or vision to make this happen  They were happy to use it for what it was – a way to get from Canada to the interior of North America without having to go through British controlled territories  France also authorized two men to build a chain of forts to protect French territory

La Salle and de Tonty  Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle and Henri de Tonty were commissioned by France to build forts in the middle of North America to secure their land  Built a stockade (jail), cabin, and several forts in the Chigagou area in  They explored more of the Mississippi R. area and claimed the entire river basin for France – named it after the King of France

 La Salle saw how important Chigagou and the portage would be of strategic importance  He describe the future of Chigagou as “the gate of empire” and “the seat of commerce”  La Salle didn’t get to see Chigagou grow to his vision – he was killed by a group of frightened French colonists when he got them lost in the wilderness  Tonty continued to build forts until his death in 1704

The future of Chigagou  More and more Europeans begin moving into the Chigagou area  France is using the area to set up trade (fur trading)  Missions set up to convert Native Americans

Native American Response  Local Indians began to resent all the Europeans in the Chigagou area  1714 – Native Americans murdered 12 French settlers  1720 – Fox Indians had blocked the southern end of the portage (where it meets the Des Plaines River) – this meant the French couldn’t go from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River – making Chigagou unimportant  Most French in the area either stayed in Canada; others established a small settlement in New Orleans

The future of Chigagou  Chigagou belonged to the French when they claimed the Mississippi River valley  It was expensive to man and supply forts and France was having economic issues back home – couldn’t afford to maintain them  Chigagou continues to be an unimportant, swampy, outpost of a settlement on the frontier until 1750