Passport to Illinois celebrates state's role in American history ahead of nation's 250th birthday

CHICAGO (WLS) -- As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, ABC7 Chicago is looking into our state's impact on the country.

From Chicago's South Side to its historic neighborhoods, the state has long been a crossroads of culture. And with the launch of the Illinois America 250 Passport, there's a renewed push to explore the places that helped shape the country. Jasmine Minor shows us a few of the stops.

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The first stop is Pullman National Historical Park, where innovation met tension. Luxury railcars built here transformed travel, but it was the workers who transformed America.

"And so you could by the early 20th century, you could travel on Pullman cars from Florida to Vancouver," Michael Shymanski said. "And he and the very important thing, though, was that he established a very high standard."

The Pullman Strike echoed nationwide, sparking conversations about fairness that still continue today. One 89-year-old Pullman worker still remembers doing the job.

"At first, it was," Alphonso Quiroz said. "It was hard. A little difficult because I didn't have no experience working at cars. And as I worked with old timers, they would help me. They would tell me what kind of drill, press, wrench and things like that they used and how to measure different articles that fit in the car framework."

Then we move into Pilsen, where the National Museum of Mexican Art exemplifies history through railroads as well. Especially with the Traqueros - a slang Spanish word for Mexican railroad workers.

"There was often many deaths, many injuries, because of this arduous job. And obviously the pay was very low," Ismael Cuevas said.

Each exhibit reflects a community that helped build Chicago's workforce, culture, and identity.

"But we besides that, the fortitude of our people still built communities, still built culture, religion, that is all part of the American dream," Cuevas said. "And that we see that here in this exhibit."

Next stop, the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum. This is where the focus shifts to people finding their footing in a new land.

"She came from money," Liesl Olsen said. "She was, part of a whole new generation of college educated women who had ambitions and wanted to do something with their degree."

Jane Addams created a blueprint for community care, proving that supporting immigrants strengthens the nation as a whole.

"There were so many initiatives that kind of valued, people in their full humanity, right?" Olsen said. "Not just as laborers. She was obviously a major voice in the, fight for women's suffrage. She was one of, the co-founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. She had allies across the city she was working across.

And last stop for the first part of our series is the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center. From Jean Baptiste Point du Sable to modern civil rights movements, the history in this museum underscores resilience.

These are just a few of the stops featured in the passport, designed by the Illinois America 250 Commission to get people to explore the landmarks that shaped our nation. So, check it out when you get some free time- because the story of the country isn't just something you read about, it's something you can walk through right here in Illinois.

For more information, visit https://www.il250.org/passport.