Former civics teachers host first Constitution class
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By Jacob Hamm
TUSCOLA— The first of four public classes about the history of the United States Constitution took place at the Douglas County Courthouse Sunday afternoon.
Former civics teachers David and Diane Zell taught the first class and will be teaching the next three.
The first class discussed the actions that led to the colonies declaring independence from Great Britain, such as the Seven Year War, commonly called the French-Indian War, various taxes being imposed on the colonies without representation, trade restrictions that prohibited the colonies from trading with other nations, and the British shutting down colonial governments.
The class also discussed commonly referenced events such as the Boston Tea Party, various battles in the Revolutionary War, and the Articles of Confederation.
Both speakers discussed the history of Illinois, dating back to the 1670s when the French mapped out the area. The presentation covered Illinois being a part of the French territory of Quebec, followed by being part of Virginia for six years, then becoming part of the Northwest Territory from 1787 to 1800, and the discussion closing with Illinois becoming a state in 1818.
The presentation covered how Illinois manipulated the census numbers in order to be admitted as a state. Prior to 1818, a territory would be admitted as a state if they had 60,000 residents in the territory. In 1818, the government lowered it to 40,000. Illinois had roughly 35,000 people at the time but counted some voters twice and also counted travelers passing through the territory. Despite this, Illinois was still admitted to the Union as a state.
The next sessions they will be hosting will be July 26, Aug. 9, Aug. 23, and Sept. 20 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Douglas County Courthouse, in Courtroom 1. The event is open to the public and is free of charge.