Case-E

The Birth of Illinois Journalism

This is the oldest newspaper in Illinois. Its December 14, 1814, publication date is about seven months into the run of the Illinois Herald—the first continuously published newspaper in Illinois. Still a territory, Illinois’s capital was then at Kaskaskia, where this newspaper was printed. Illinois achieved statehood in 1818 and moved its capital to Vandalia two years later. The Herald went with it, although by then it was calling itself the Illinois Intelligencer.

Only one issue of the Illinois Herald has survived. As you can see, some of its reporting is copied from other newspapers—a common practice at the time. Most of the coverage is devoted to the War of 1812, which was partly fought in Illinois. Indigenous people allied with the British Empire raided American settlements, including a costly attack on Fort Dearborn in Chicago, while Illinois militia fought back and used the opportunity to further displace those tribes.