Frank Cicero Jr.
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780252041679
- eISBN:
- 9780252050343
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Illinois Press
- DOI:
- 10.5622/illinois/9780252041679.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, Political History
Chapter 6 covers the Civil War years, during which portions of Illinois leaned toward secession even as white and black regiments mustered for service. The heavily partisan 1862 constitutional ...
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Chapter 6 covers the Civil War years, during which portions of Illinois leaned toward secession even as white and black regiments mustered for service. The heavily partisan 1862 constitutional convention was led by Democrats who overstepped their charge, tackling the essential issues of increasing executive and legislator pay, strengthening the governor’s veto, and reducing the number of special-interest bills, but also betraying strong feelings against black settlement in the state and harassing the Republican governor. The proposed constitution was rejected by voters. Meanwhile, Chicago transformed into a modern metropolis, leading the region in commerce, finance, manufacturing, and philanthropy. The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution cemented Abraham Lincoln’s legacy even as attitudes toward racial equality in parts of Illinois remained distinctly southern.Less
Chapter 6 covers the Civil War years, during which portions of Illinois leaned toward secession even as white and black regiments mustered for service. The heavily partisan 1862 constitutional convention was led by Democrats who overstepped their charge, tackling the essential issues of increasing executive and legislator pay, strengthening the governor’s veto, and reducing the number of special-interest bills, but also betraying strong feelings against black settlement in the state and harassing the Republican governor. The proposed constitution was rejected by voters. Meanwhile, Chicago transformed into a modern metropolis, leading the region in commerce, finance, manufacturing, and philanthropy. The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution cemented Abraham Lincoln’s legacy even as attitudes toward racial equality in parts of Illinois remained distinctly southern.
