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Progress in the New StateThe population and economy in Illinois continued to grow in the 1830's and 40's. Chicago's population increased dramatically with an influx of northerners, speculators, traders and immigrants. Unsanitary conditions soon developed and a cholera epidemic swept through the city in the early 1830's. Thousands of Irish immigrants came to Illinois during this time to help build the Illinois-Michigan canal. Construction began at Bridgeport in 1836. William Gooding was the chief engineer. The canal was to be divided into three segments: Chicago to Lockport, Lockport to Seneca and Seneca to LaSalle. It took 12 years to finish the canal. The state almost went bankrupt because of the costs, but the canal finally opened in 1848. Once in operation, the canal became a boon to trade for the cities along its route. Many of the Irish stayed after the canal's completion and found work in factories in the Chicago area. Chicago became the leading transportation and distribution center for the Midwest. In farming advances, John Deere of Grand Detour developed the steel plow in 1837 and Cyrus McCormick began the production of mechanical reapers in Chicago in 1847. Map of the Illinois-Michigan Canal
There was also religious and political discord in Illinois during this time. The Mormons, who had been run out of Missouri, began a settlement at Nauvoo. It soon became the state's largest city. Joseph Smith, the group's leader, ran for President of the United States. Because of the influence the Mormons began to have on state and national politics, many Illinoisans became distrustful of their intentions. Smith, his brother Hyrum, and other Mormon leaders, were jailed in Carthage for their roles in destroying a newspaper in Nauvoo that disagreed with their views. On June 27, 1844, they were killed by a mob that attacked the jail. Brigham Young became the leader of the Mormons and they fled the state in 1847, eventually settling in Utah. Although slavery had been banned in the new state, it was still a major source of controversy in Illinois. Most of the settlers in Illinois in the early 1800s were from the southern states, mainly Kentucky, Tennessee and the Carolinas. By the 1830's, more settlers were arriving from New England and other northern states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania. Many of the Southern and Northern settlers had different lifestyles and conflicting views about slavery. The General Assembly passed laws in 1856 prohibiting the settlement of free blacks in the state. Elijah Lovejoy, the editor of the Alton Observer, advocated the abolition of slavery. He was killed as he tried to prevent proslavery supporters from destroying his newspaper press. Owen Lovejoy, his brother and pastor of the Hampshire Colony Congregational Church, helped organize the antislavery movement in Illinois. He was later elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. The "Underground Railroad" also operated in Illinois, helping slaves escape to freedom in the north. The expansion of the railroads played an important role in the development of the state during the 1850's. Tracks were constructed connecting all of Illinois with the eastern part of the United States. The railroads provided transportation for the shipment of goods in Illinois to the population centers in the East. They also provided transportation for immigrants from the east and Europe to Illinois. With its central location and its access to the Atlantic Ocean through the Great Lakes, Chicago became a major transportation hub for the railroads. The Illinois Central Railroad became an important railway during the 1850's.
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