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

This episode explores the origins of Chicago, its founding, and the early inhabitants of the land.

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
  • Ann Durkin Keating
  • urban development
  • population
  • cultural history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: North Central College, History Hit, Acast

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

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