Settlement (Ch 3)

Chicago circa 1863

The first settlers to the area were Native Americans from the Potawatomi tribe in the mid-1700s. Jean Baptiste Point du Sable is considered the "first" settler by many. He came to Chicago, married a Potawatomi woman and establish a trading post on the mouth of the Chicago River. In 1802, Fort Dearborn was established on the mouth of the river, but was later destroyed in the 1812 Fort Dearborn Massacre. 1833, the area officially became a town and four years later, had more than 4,000 residents.

Currently the population of Chicago is about 2,800,000 (as of 2007). (the Chicago Metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 9.5 million people) The estimated number of households under the poverty line is 16.6% and 19.6% of the population is below the poverty line. The 2007 U.S. Census estimates the population of Chicago breaks down as follows:

38.9% White
35.6% Black or African American
28.1% Latino/Hispanic
5.3% Asian
0.5% American Indian/Alaskan Native
0.1% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
21.3% Other

Chicago is very diverse. Though the breakdown does show the immense diversity, it is also good to note that there are many other ethnicities. Those of Irish, German, Mexican, English, Polish, Serbian,, and South Asian Americans (the 3rd largest population in the United States) also make up the population of Chicago.

It is also interesting to note that Chicago has a rich gay and lesbian community. The north section of the city has been noted to be home to this thriving community. One particular enclave is known as "Boystown", which was the first acknowledged community of its kind in the United States.

As a result of the many ethnicities and cultures that enrich Chicago, there are many religions that are practiced, from the many Christian denominations to Judaism to Islam to Hinduism and beyond.

Al Capone, one such Italian-American made Chicago his home. He, along with other gang members dominated the streets during the Prohibition Era. He became notorious and in relation, made Chicago Famous for events such as the Saint Valentine Massacre.