Economic and Ethnic Diversity in Springfield
In Abraham Lincoln's time, many residents of Springfield came from someplace else, whether a state or an ocean away. Southerners, northerners, and European immigrants came here to improve their lot in life, much as Lincoln had in 1837. Springfield's African American residents included both freemen who owned their own homes and businesses, such as Lincoln's neighbor Jameson Jenkins, and indentured servants who lived with their white employers.On Lincoln's own street, occupations ranged from an elected state official to washer women; income levels varied widely; and houses ranged in size from modest dwellings to spacious two-story houses, such as the Lincoln Home.
According to the 1860 Census, Springfield's residents included Irish, German, Portuguese, and African Americans.By the time Lincoln left Springfield in 1861, Illinois typified a border state, with a slave-holding tradition, a desire to preserve the Union, and a mixed population of both northerners and southerners.
Marker is on 8th Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
