Illinois Country
Illinois Country or Upper Louisiana was a colonial state established by France to administer lands conquered from Native American nations.
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Geography
Illinois Country is an imprecise geographic area generally referring to the upper Mississippi basin and the Illinois and Wabash river systems. Most new settlement would be found in the modern state of Illinois.
History
The upper Mississippi and Illinois River systems were first explored by French explorers. The term Illinois Country comes from the native Illinois.
Following the French and Indian War, the territory was divided along the Mississippi. The east was ceded to the British province of Quebec. The west was ceded to the Spanish colony of Louisiana.
Composition
At establishment, the colony was governed from Quebec. New France was ruled as part of an absolutist monarchy, with Louis XIV dictating the civil, criminal, and trade codes.
Louis XV reorganized New France such that Illinois Country was incorporated into Louisiana.