Learn something new every day
Tuesday, May 7, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* There’s more to this, but yeah…
* A statue of James Shields was erected in the Hall of Columns in 1893 to represent Illinois…
James Shields, born on May 12, 1806, emigrated from Ireland as a young man. He taught school, studied law, and was admitted to practice.
• He served in the Illinois House of Representatives in 1836, became the state auditor in 1839, and was a member of the Supreme Court of Illinois from 1843 to 1845.
• While serving in the Illinois House, Shields met Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas. Lincoln was a Whig and Shields was a Democrat; the two clashed rhetorically and once even scheduled a duel.
He and Lincoln settled their differences without violence, but Lincoln challenged Shields’ bid for a second US Senate term. Lyman Trumbull was eventually elected in a three-way contest. Shields was an anti-slavery Democrat.
* Frances E. Willard represents Illinois in the National Statuary Hall…
A pioneer in the temperance movement, Frances E. Willard is also remembered for her contributions to higher education.
• She attended the Female College of Milwaukee for one year and finished her college degree at the Woman’s College of Northwestern University.
• She taught at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary in 1866–1867 before returning to the Evanston College for Women, where she served as president from 1871 to 1874.
• Willard gained a reputation as an effective orator and social reformer.
• She became associated in the evangelist movement with Dwight Moody and was elected president of the National Women’s Temperance Union in 1879.
• Her zeal sustained her fight for prohibition, and she organized the Prohibition Party in 1882. During the same year she was elected president of the National Council of Women.
• She later founded and served as president of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union in 1883.
• Her statue was the first honoring a woman to be chosen for the National Statuary Hall Collection.
Thoughts?
- Just Me 2 - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 11:31 am:
About 15 years ago or so there was a move to replace Shields but Madigan stopped it. We were told Shields was an important Irishman, but that could have been a rumor. Someone with more time on their hands can find the bill #.
Is this a QOTD for replacement statues? Is snark encouraged? If so, we should replace Shields with the nation’s longest serving Speaker who happens to be an Illinois citizen and also adequately represents our State’s long history of elected officials.
- NIU Grad - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 11:40 am:
The tweet definitely glosses over both of their accomplishments throughout their lives. I’d be curious to know the story of why they both were chosen before forming an opinion. It’s interesting that Shields was chosen so long after his service…especially since he represented two different states in the Senate after leaving Illinois.
- Ducky LaMoore - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 11:46 am:
No one named James Shields should be allowed to represent Illinois.
- BC - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 11:55 am:
I really like our choice of statues. A remarkably successful immigrant (during the “no-nothing” era of virulently anti-immigrant prejudice) and a pioneer for women’s rights. Lots of fascinating history to be learned from their biographies. The alliance between progressive reformers like Willard and conservative evangelists like Moody to impose prohibition is an important and overlooked chapter in Illinois history. What’s more, the White Sox have played for more than a century on a street named after Shields. Bonus points for that. Although as Ducky alludes to, the White Sox pitcher name James Shields was a disaster.
- Just Me 2 - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 11:56 am:
Apparently I have more time on my hands than I thought and went down a small rabbit hole here, but I found the legislation replacing Shields with Reagan, and that may explain why it went nowhere.
https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=8&GAID=8&DocTypeID=HJR&LegId=14984&SessionID=50&GA=94
- Socially DIstant watcher - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 11:57 am:
We gotta step up our game. How about Ernie Banks and Rick Nielson?
- Shibboleth - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 12:18 pm:
I would purposely be more than ecstatic to see one of the two replaced with a statue of Elijah Parish Lovejoy.
- DuPage Saint - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 12:18 pm:
Al Capone and Blago. everyone thinks Illinois is corrupted so just own it /S
- Huh? - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 12:19 pm:
How about Cheap Trick?
- Suburban Mom - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 12:19 pm:
Come on, guys, Shields and Lincoln became close friends after the duel, Shields was a passionate abolitionist, and while serving as brigadier general in the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War, he inflicted Stonewall Jackson’s only tactical defeat of the entire war at Kernstown.
Like idk if he’s the best choice to represent Illinois in the national statuary hall, but he has an impressive record of public service to Illinois, to the Union, and to the United States.
Also like geez go visit the ALPLM guys, the after-story of Shields’s life after the duel with Lincoln is all there. Or like read a history book about the battles of the Civil War, “Stonewall Jackson’s sole defeat” is always in there.
- Paddyrollingstone - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 12:25 pm:
Not crazy about the temperance movement, which was anti-immigrant as well as anti-fun. There’s a Willard school named after Frances E. Willard in Evanston but even better is the “FEW” Spirits Company named after her that produces whiskey and bourbon. Also, we have “Temperance” brewery. We’ve come along way baby.
- Juice - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 12:52 pm:
Can we trade the James Shields statue for one of Fernando Tatis Jr.?
- H-W - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 1:04 pm:
As one who came here 30 years or so ago, Durbin come to mind. They amazed me and made me worry less about moving here. Bumped into Durbin at SPI. He was a genuinely nice guy. On the Republican side, how can you not lift up Reagan? Later, Obama should.
Illinois has a great line-up of Federal servants.
- H-W - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 1:05 pm:
PS - I know living people cannot do so. But the future suggests a few coming.
- BC - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 1:07 pm:
Well played, @Juice
- StealYourFace - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 1:21 pm:
We need a John Prine statue on the Capitol lawn with a lyric underneath it: “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore”
- illini - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 1:55 pm:
Frances E Willard was a unique, dynamic and accomplished individual who made her mark by leading Temperance Unions and Prohibition causes. I wonder how she would feel being the namesake of FEW Spirits in Evanston known for its artisan, small batch, hand crafted Whiskey.
- Vote Quimby - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 2:10 pm:
I nominate Paul Simon…. The bow tie guy not the singer.
- @misterjayem - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 2:38 pm:
We should celebrate Illinois excellence by erecting statues of Count Dante and Svengoolie.
– MrJM
- NotYourGramma - Tuesday, May 7, 24 @ 5:08 pm:
@suburban mom: Shields was not, in fact, a passionate abolitionist. He supported Douglas (hence his beef with Lincoln) and the idea of popular sovereignty - the idea that each state should get to choose whether or not to be slave or free state. He did make amends with Lincoln and fight with the Union Army in the Civil War but note that most Union soldiers and even Lincoln at the start of the war did not support abolition. Also, @BC it’s the “know-nothing” era. Named for the members of the groups who claimed to “know nothing” when asked. Sort of like fight club: first rule of the Native American Party was to say you “knew nothing.”
Shields did a lot in his life and he did not “want to kill Lincoln.” But not sure I’d find reason to put up a statue of him today.