The Country and the City
Kaskaskia and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union
“Kaskaskia and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union”
Kaskaskia and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union premiered in fall 2022 with a series of short films and events in Randolph and Cook Counties. The series examined the complex history of Illinois’ first capital, Kaskaskia, and considered what it could teach us about present day pursuits of a unified public, with an in-depth look at the many demographic, cultural, and political shifts that have shaped Kaskaskia locally and impacted the democratic vision of the region and country.
By considering what ‘a more perfect Union’ might have meant at various times to various people – from those who lived in the place where the Liberty Bell of the West rang, to those in the present keeping the town’s legacy alive – we hope to stimulate thought and discussion about our own aspirations for a more perfect Union.
Kaskaskia and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union is made possible in part by a grant from National Endowment for the Humanities A More Perfect Union initiative.
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Events
Kaskaskia and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union will take place in Fall 2022 and Winter 2023. Watch a video program on our YouTube channel, or attend a screening and community discussion around the state.
Premiere: Kaskaskia and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union, Part 2
Join us for this online premiere. The video continues our exploration the legacy of one of Illinois’s smallest, yet most historic, municipalities.
Thursday, November 17, 2022 7:00 p.m.
Chester Screening and Discussion of “Kaskaskia and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union”
Join us in Chester, Illinois for a robust discussion as we screen excerpts from Part 1 and Part 2 of “Kaskaskia and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union.”
Tuesday, November 22, 2022 6:30 p.m. | Chester Public Library | 733 S State St | Chester, IL
Chicago Screening and Discussion of “Kaskaskia and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union”
Join us in Chicago, Illinois for dinner, a short screening, and a robust discussion about Part 1 and Part 2 of “Kaskaskia and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union.”
Tuesday, November 29, 2022 5:30 p.m. | Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago Public Library | 400 S State St | Chicago, IL
Past Events
Screening and Discussion of “Kaskaskia and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union, Part 1
Guests came together in Chester, Illinois for a screening and community discussion to explore the rich history of Illinois’ first capital.
Tuesday, October 11, 2022 6:30 p.m. | Chester Public Library | 733 S State St | Chester, IL
Premiere: Kaskaskia and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union, Part 1
Part 1 in our series premiered on Oct. 6, 2022, featuring Logan Pappenfort, formerly Second Chief of the Peoria Tribe of Indians, now interim director of Dickson Mounds State Museum near Lewistown, and more.
Thursday, October 6, 2022 7:00 p.m.
More About "The Country and the City"
Our social and political discourse appears to reflect deep divisions and oppositional relations between urban and rural Illinoisans, yet those who are familiar with both city neighborhoods and rural communities across the state sometimes comment that their residents’ needs, concerns, and values may be more similar than they initially seem. To what extent can rural and urban Illinoisans find common ground on issues that affect both the country and the city? That is the question examined by The Country and the City: Common Ground in the Prairie State?.
Contrasts between rural and urban perspectives on society have manifested themselves prominently in the news in recent years, but they are hardly new. Aesop’s famous fable, “The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse,” indicates that such contrasts were on the minds of Ancient Greeks two and a half millennia ago. Rural-urban dynamics formed a significant part of the culture of the Mississippian people who occupied much of present-day Illinois 700 to 1,200 years ago, and they have influenced seemingly every aspect of public life here in the Prairie State throughout its 202-year history.
Developed in 2018 in conjunction with both the Illinois State Bicentennial and the Illinois tour of a Museum on Main Street exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution entitled Crossroads: Change in Rural America, this program series addresses issues significant to both urban and rural communities.
Past Events
Distributions: People, Places, and Power Series
- Cook County Edition” – Virtual – December 15, 2020
- Fulton County Edition” – Virtual – October 15, 2020
- Gallatin County Edition” – Virtual – August 20, 2020
Finding Common Ground in the Prairie State Series
- “The Country and the City: Christine Brewer and Noam Pikelny in Performance” – Old State Capitol – Friday, August 9, Springfield, IL
- “The Changing Local Media Landscapes of Rural and Urban Communities”– Du Quoin State Fairgrounds – Thursday, May 30th, 2019, Du Quoin, IL
- “Social and Economic Impacts of Incarceration” – York Township Public Library – Thursday, May 9th, 2019, Thomson, IL
- “Media Coverage of Urban and Rural Communities & Sustaining Positive Momentum” – Shilling Environmental Education Center at Scovill Zoo – Tuesday, April 30, 2019, Decatur, IL
- “Local Law Enforcement & Community Relations” – AARC at Booker Washington Community Center – Tuesday, February 19, 2019, Rockford, IL
- “Land Use and Environmental Ethics II” – American Indian Center – Thursday, December 6, 2018, Chicago, IL
- “Land Use and Environmental Ethics I” – Illinois State Museum-Dickson Mounds – Thursday, November 15, 2018, Lewistown, IL
- “Cultural Sustainability and the Pursuit of Community II” – SIUE East Saint Louis Center – Thursday, October 25, 2018, East St Louis, IL
- “Cultural Sustainability and the Pursuit of Community I” – Free Press Coffee House – Tuesday, September 18, 2018, Pittsfield, IL