The Origins of Chicago

The Origins of Chicago

From American History Hit by History Hit

April 9, 2026 · 47 min · Episode 373

About this episode

The episode explores the origins and historical significance of Chicago, featuring insights from historian Ann Durkin Keating.

Chicago is the third most populous city in the United States. It's the windy city, the railroad capital, and home of countless film and tv hits. But when was it founded? Who were the first people living and working on this land? And when did Chicago become Chicago. Don is joined by Ann Durkin Keating, Professor of History at North Central College. Her book on this subject is ‘Rising Up from Indian Country: The Battle of Fort Dearborn and the Birth of Chicago’. Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Sophie Gee. Senior Producer was Freddy Chick. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe .   All music from Epidemic Sounds. American History Hit is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Don

Guest: Ann Durkin Keating

Topics covered

  • Chicago history
  • urban development
  • Fort Dearborn
  • population growth
  • cultural significance

Keywords

  • Chicago
  • history
  • Fort Dearborn
  • urban development
  • Ann Durkin Keating
  • population
  • cultural history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: North Central College, History Hit, Acast, Epidemic Sounds

Books & works: Rising Up from Indian Country: The Battle of Fort Dearborn and the Birth of Chicago

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