Kaskaskia Collection of Miscellaneous Documents, 1741-1782

This collection contains copies of documents in English and French pertaining to the history of Kaskaskia, Illinois.

Kaskaskia, Illinois is a village in Randolph County, Illinois. It was a major French colonial town during the first half of the eighteenth century. It came under British rule in the 1760s after the French and Indian War. Kaskaskia was captured by the Virginia militia during the Revolutionary War and named county seat of Illinois County, Virginia. In 1809 it became the capital of the Illinois Territory. When Illinois became a state in 1818, Kaskaskia served as the state capital until 1820.

The documents in this collection include a copy of a 1782 election record for magistrate of Kaskaskia, copies of two notes written in French, and a transcription of part of two letters written in 1777, one in English and one in French. The collection also includes a copy of three letters in English and French dated 1741 and undated layered on top of each other so that only one is fully visible.

This collection was donated to the Library in 2001.