[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 18, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H3431]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   CELEBRATING THE BICENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS

  (Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate 
a historical moment for the great State of Illinois. Two hundred years 
ago today, in this very building, legislation was passed by the 15th 
Congress and later signed by President James Monroe which allowed the 
people of the Illinois territory to proceed with statehood.
  This legislation paved the way for representatives in the territory 
to form a convention from which a State government would later emerge. 
At the time, in 1818, only 11 counties existed in the territory that 
could send representatives to the convention to draft governing 
documents.
  Three of these 11 counties are within my congressional district. I 
have often said how humble I am to represent a part of Illinois that 
President Lincoln represented when he served in this Chamber, but I am 
also immensely proud to represent the area that pioneered Illinois' 
statehood.
  In December of this year, Illinois will celebrate its bicentennial as 
a State in our Union. I have called Illinois home for over 40 years, 
and I am honored to stand here today and recognize the history that was 
made in this building 200 years ago today.

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