Chicago
Chicago was inhabited by Potawatomis in the middle of 11th century. French explorers passed by the area, and a European named Jean Baptiste Point du Sable resided there. He was a fur trader with French-African descent. He married a woman from the area, built the first settlement at the Chicago River in 1779 and founded the first trading post. Through the treaty of Saint Louis, the land was turned over to the United States in 1816 from the Native American tribes. In 1833, it was organized as the town of Chicago with a population of 350. The population then grew to 4,000 in seven years. Its first railway in 1848 gave way to the opening of the Illinois and Michigan canal. This, in turn, increased the population growth of the city. The canal allowed sailing ships and steamboats which brought immigrants and resident from the rural community. The economy flourished as retail and manufacturing sectors dominated the Midwestern cities. This, in turn greatly, influenced and contributed to the American economy. The city’s Union Stockyards has the largest meat packing facilities until the 1960s. Several years later, the Chicago Fire almost destroyed the whole city but gave way to a major reconstruction that further improved it. If you rent a car in Chicago you can explore the rest of the state of Illinois, as well as Indiana and Wisconsin. Michigan is also fairly close, specially with a car.
