As a study in contrasts, Chicago is an example of the great achievements and shortcomings of the United States, and to be sure the city has seen a great deal of violence over its one-hundred and fifty years of existence. The city has been poured over by scholars, drawing on some of its truly fascinating archives, including such sources as the Chicago Police Department Homicide Record. This...

The last decades of the 19th century and those of the early 20th century were the heyday of urban rail transit around the world. These remarkable maps from the University of Chicago Library's Map Collection illustrate the history of such matters between the 1860s and the 1920s. On its homepage, the site offers a bit of historical context on the development of such systems and visitors would do...

Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, the late Harold Washington made history in 1983 when he was elected mayor after receiving 51 percent of the vote. Given the city's racial segregation and at times tumultuous race relations, the victory was considered a major accomplishment in the annals of Chicago history. Drawing on the collections held by the Chicago Public Library, this online...