Illinois history

News Briefs

Illinoisans: Cast your vote for a new state flag or the current one

Will Bauer

Flag voting began Friday and will remain open until Feb. 14, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said.

Illinois residents can vote to replace current state flag, adopted in 1915, with the one of the new designs or keep it.

News Briefs

Illinoisans submitted 5,000 flag designs — these are the 10 finalists

Will Bauer

The public will vote on the finalists or a former flag beginning in January. From there, the results will be given to the Illinois General Assembly.

The current state flag depicts the Illinois seal — an eagle standing on a shield with the sun rising on the horizon. A rock under the eagle denotes two years: 1818 and 1868, the year Illinois became a state and the year the state seal was adopted.

Government, Politics & Issues

Illinoisans: The state is redesigning its flag — submit your ideas by Oct. 18

Will Bauer

After examining submissions from the public, flag commission members will select 10 entries based on how they reflect the identity of Illinois. The state legislature will have the final say.

Steve Inskeep's newest book details Abraham Lincoln's connections to St. Louis.

Culture & History

Lincoln’s political savvy highlighted in ‘Differ We Must,’ by NPR’s Steve Inskeep

Alex Heuer

NPR’s Steve Inskeep shares the story of Abraham Lincoln as a politician through sixteen encounters with people who differed with him in some way.

Culture & History

Illinois could get a new flag for the first time in over a century

Emily Woodbury

There's a wave of state and city flag redesigns sweeping the country. New designs could be recommended to the Illinois General Assembly by December 2024.