The Illinois Statehouse

Illinois was admitted to the union on December 3, 1818. For the first two years of Illinois's statehood, its capitol was located in Kaskaskia, a small town on the Mississippi River. Vandalia was home to three capitol buildings during its 19-year tenure as the second capital city. In 1837, a group of legislators, led by Abraham Lincoln and referred to as the Long Nine, campaigned to make Springfield the capital city. The Long Nine's goal was met in 1839, and since then, there have been two c...