III 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 683 

Recognizing and commemorating the bicentennial of the State of Illinois. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 11, 2018 

Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Ms. DUCKWORTH) submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing and commemorating the bicentennial of the 

State of Illinois. 

Whereas Illinoisans will celebrate the 200th anniversary of 

the founding of the State of Illinois on December 3, 

2018, and the lasting legacy of all that the ‘‘Prairie 

State’’ has to offer; 

Whereas Illinois was the 21st State to be admitted to the 

Union in 1818, expanding the heartland of the United 

States farther west; 

Whereas Illinois took part in shaping the visions and moral 

compass of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the 

United States, and became known as the ‘‘Land of Lincoln’’; 

Whereas Abraham Lincoln demonstrated political courage in 

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ecutive order which freed more than 3,000,000 enslaved 

persons of color in the United States; 

Whereas Illinois led the righteous path toward equality as the 

first State to ratify the 13th Amendment, banning slavery in the United States, in 1865; 

Whereas Illinois fostered the development of many leaders of 

the United States as the birthplace of President Ronald 

Reagan and the home of President Ulysses S. Grant and 

the first African-American President of the United 

States, Barack H. Obama; 

Whereas Illinois served as a pioneer in challenging the views 

of leadership in society by electing— 

(1) the third woman to ever serve in Congress, 

Winnifred S. Huck, in 1922; and 

(2) the first African-American woman to serve in the 

Senate, Carol Moseley Braun, in 1993; 

Whereas the characteristic forests, wetlands, and vast farmland of Illinois established Illinois as an agricultural leader and the predominant producer of soybeans, corn, and 

swine in the United States, and is home to more than 

72,000 farms that cover 27,000,000 acres, or 75 percent 

of the State; 

Whereas Illinois is home to Chicago, the third largest city in 

the United States, which survived and rebuilt following 

the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 that resulted in 300 fatalities and incurred an estimated $200,000,000 in damage across 4 miles of the city; 

Whereas Chicago introduced the world to groundbreaking, 

life-altering innovations while it was host to the World’s 

Columbian Exposition in 1893, where the world witnessed— 


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(1) the first all-steel-framed skyscraper, the Rand 

McNally Building on Adams Street; and 

(2) the first Ferris Wheel; 

Whereas Illinois inventors have been trailblazers in every area 

of scientific and mechanical achievement, having contributed such inventions as the cell phone, the mechanical 

dishwasher, the zipper, meatpacking, the first blood bank 

in the United States, the wireless remote controller, the 

vacuum cleaner, and the farm silo; 

Whereas Chicago was home to revolutionary and timely 

events, including— 

(1) the first televised Presidential debate; 

(2) the first successful open-heart surgery; and 

(3) the first self-sustaining controlled nuclear reaction in the world; 

Whereas the economic contributions of Illinois are a testament of the hardworking men and women who call the 

State home, as the gross domestic product of the State 

of Illinois in 2016 amounted to $796,000,000,000 and 

was the fifth highest in the United States in that year; 

Whereas the communities of Illinois nurture unwavering heroism, as the State is home to more than 20,000 active 

duty military personnel, more than 24,000 members of 

reserve forces, and, from 2012 to 2016, more than 

643,000 veterans, who selflessly risked their lives for the 

protection of the United States; 

Whereas Illinois prides itself on institutions of academic excellence and is home to more than 300 colleges and universities that have made significant intellectual, scientific, 

and philosophical contributions to the State as well as the 

United States; 


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Whereas Illinois has been home to numerous renowned artists 

in the areas of music, writing, acting, and visual art, including— 

(1) Miles Davis, born in Alton and raised in East 

St. Louis; 

(2) Ernest Hemingway, born in Oak Park; 

(3) Jane Addams, born in Cedarville; 

(4) Nat King Cole, raised in Chicago; 

(5) Carl Sandburg, born in Galesburg; 

(6) Sam Cooke, raised in Chicago; 

(7) Walt Disney, born in Chicago; and 

(8) Robin Williams, born in Chicago; 

Whereas the major league sports teams of Chicago exhibit an 

impressive level of athleticism and sportsmanship, and 

have won several national championships, including, within the past 40 years— 

(1) the Chicago Bears in 1986; 

(2) the Chicago Bulls each year from— 

(A) 1991 through 1993; and 

(B) 1996 through 1998; 

(3) the Chicago White Sox in 2005; 

(4) the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, 2013, and 

2015; and 

(5) the Chicago Cubs in 2016; 

Whereas, since its inception, Illinois has welcomed with open 

arms visitors from every corner of the world, possessed 

an understanding of how diversity enriches the fabric of 

our country, fostered people, preserved land, and generated contributions that are imperative to the history of 

the United States; 

Whereas Illinois will be celebrating its bicentennial with the 

dedication of a new Bicentennial Plaza that connects the 


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home of President Lincoln to the State Capitol in Springfield, as well as a commemorative Route 66 motorcycle 

ride and fireworks above the State Capitol on the eve of 

the occasion; and 

Whereas residents across Illinois have hosted, and continue to 

host, celebrations, from downstate Illinois up to the coast 

of Lake Michigan, commemorating the 200th anniversary 

of the State: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes the bicentennial of the founding 

3 of the State of Illinois, as well as the past and cur4 rent residents of Illinois for their significant con5 tributions to the economic, social, and cultural devel6 opment of the United States; and 

7 (2) respectfully requests that the Secretary of 

8 the Senate transmit a copy of this resolution to the 

9 Governor of Illinois. 

Æ 


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