East Central Reporter

State Representative Adam Niemerg marked Illinois' 206th birthday with a Facebook post on December 3, stating, "On this day in 1818, Illinois officially became the 21st state in the union."

"On this day in 1818, Illinois officially became the 21st state in the union," said Adam M Niemerg, State Representative for 102nd District (R), according to Facebook. "Since then, Illinois has been a beacon of innovation and economic opportunity in the Midwest. Happy Statehood Day to the great state of Illinois!"

According to Niemerg, he shared a link to an Illinois House Republicans Caucus Blog post that celebrated the state's journey to statehood. The blog highlighted that European exploration began in what is now Illinois in 1673 with French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet, who claimed the region for France. They established Cahokia in 1699 and Kaskaskia in 1703. Sixty years later, control of Illinois was transferred to the British through the Treaty of Paris. The territory was subsequently ceded to the United States by another Treaty of Paris in 1783.

Screenshot of State Representative Adam Niemerg's Dec. 3 Facebook post | State Representative Adam Niemerg's Facebook page

The blog also noted that Kaskaskia was designated as the territorial capital, with Ninian Edwards appointed as governor. The first state constitution was drafted in 1818, leading to President James Monroe admitting Illinois into the Union on December 3 of that year.

Before achieving statehood, Kaskaskia's capture in 1778 marked the beginning of Illinois as a territory. The new United States laid claim to it, and by the Treaty of Paris in 1783, land east of the Mississippi was given to the U.S. Between 1803 and 1812, Native Americans ceded most of their land for goods and annual payments, according to an online exhibit by the Illinois State Museum.

The state is named after the Illiniwek Nation—a group of smaller Indigenous nations. In the late 1600s, more than 10,000 Indigenous people lived there before displacement by white settlers from Ohio River Valley. By 1699, French settlers had established Cahokia. In 1778, American troops incorporated Illinois into Virginia's territory until federal control took over in 1784. By 1832, remaining Indigenous peoples relinquished their claims and relocated to present-day eastern Kansas. By 1851 they formed what is now known as the Confederated Peoria Tribe according to information from History Channel.

Niemerg was elected for his first term in office in 2020. His official biography describes him as a "fiscal conservative focused on reducing taxes and fighting for limited government and pension reform." He works as a senior claims adjuster at Country Financial and holds a bachelor's degree from Eastern Illinois University.