Illinois in the Civil War

Introduction	Lincoln's Public Life	Assassination
Slavery	Lincoln's Private Life	Money Smart Program
Emancipation	Civil War	Extended Bibliography
Friends & Enemies	Illinois and the Civil War	Sponsors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What was life like on the Illinois frontier? The long, cold winters and hot, steamy summers were difficult for the people living in simple cabins on the plains. Native Americans and European settlers lived in uneasy proximity, and hard work never ended. But when the war came, Illinois was ready. Read the story of our state’s fight against slavery, learn about the brutal Black Hawk War, or simply lose yourself in a love song to the endless prairie in these selections about the place we, and Lincoln, call home.

TITLES

The Underground Railroad in Illinois by Glennette Tilley Turner
Written in a lively question-and-answer format and full of maps, pictures, and news clippings this book highlights the many important Underground Railroad sites in our state.

*The River Between Us by Richard Peck
Life is turned upside down for the Pruitt family when two mysterious young women come to their small southern Illinois town during the Civil War.

Black Hawk: The Battle for the Heart of America by Kerry A. Trask
Forced from their land on the eastern banks of the Mississippi, the Sauk nation followed Black Hawk in an unsuccessful attempt to retake their ancestral homelands, challenging America’s pursuit of manifest destiny.

Chicago’s Battery Boys: The Chicago Mercantile Battery in the Civil War’s Western Theater by Richard Brady Williams
The gripping true story of a Chicago regiment that served on the Western front of the Civil War, soldiers tell their stories through vibrant letters and photographs.

Governor Edward Coles and the Vote to Forbid Slavery in Illinois, 1823-1824 by David Ress
After freeing his slaves and moving to Illinois, Edward Coles was horrified to see slavery in full swing. His election as the state’s second governor and work on an anti-slavery campaign finally led to the ban on slavery in our state.

Eight Months in Illinois: With Information to Immigrants by William Oliver
Charmingly written in 1843 for prospective English immigrants, this book details the excitement and challenges of everyday life facing those who would seek their fortune on the Illinois prairie.

The Hoofs and Guns of the Storm: Chicago’s Civil War Connections by Arnie Bernstein
What part did Chicago play in the Civil War? This informative guidebook explains the important places and events in Chicago that influenced the course of the war.

The Sangamon by Edgar Lee Masters
A love story to the beautiful county where Lincoln lived and launched his political career, Masters offers a memoir of home and family set in the heart of rural Illinois.

Fighting Slavery in Chicago by Tom Campbell
Local author Tom Campbell provides a lively illustrated guide to the people and events that formed the Chicago abolitionist movement against slavery.

* Light, entertaining books for both adult and teen readers.