Legal Organization and Charter, City of Chicago

Photo Credit: University of Illinois at Chicago, The University Library, Department of Special Collections

Click here for a full screen view of the original Legal Organization and Charter, City of Chicago

The image of this document, one of two local printings of the official charter granting Chicago its first city government, is provided by the University of Illinois at Chicago, The University Library, Department of Special Collections. The other copy of the City Charter is owned by the Chicago History Museum and preliminary drafts are owned by the Newberry Library. It is unique because:

• it is one of Chicago's earliest extant imprints;
  
• it is a landmark document denoting the official beginning of the city of Chicago;
  
• it is the earliest document to contain significant innovations in city government;
  
• it is one of only two known copies of the document.

Summary of the Legal Organization and Charter, City of Chicago

Chicago was incorporated as  a city on March  4, 1837, at which  
time the first city charter  became effective. Previous to this  
Chicago had  operated under  a  town charter  of  1833. Another  
charter was written in 1851, and the third and last charter was 
drafted in 1863.
 
At the election of April 23, 1875 the voters of Chicago choose to 
operate under  the Illinois  Cities and  Villages Act  of 1872.  
Chicago still operates under this act, in lieu of a charter. The 
Cities and Villages Act  has been revised  several times since,  
and may be found in Chapter 65 of the Illinois Compiled Statutes.
 
Article VII of the Illinois Constitution, adopted Sept. 3, 1970, 
in force July 1, 1971, grants home rule powers to Chicago. Among 
those powers are regulation for the protection of public health, 
safety, morals, and welfare, to license for regulatory purposes, 
to tax and to incur debt.
 

Compiled by librarians at the Municipal Reference Collection, Chicago Public Library