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Illinois's at-large congressional district

former U.S. House district in Illinois

Architectural plans, a scale model, maps and brass measuring instruments
Places and architectureInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionApr 20, 2026
Entity authorityQ17017650
Source-derived summary

Illinois elected its United States Representative at-large on a general ticket upon achieving statehood December 3, 1818. Although the practice was first ended in 1830, it was revived several times, so that there would be at least one seat elected at large, in addition to elections in single-member districts. It last elected a US Representative at large in 1946. The district has been obsolete since.

List of members representing the district

1818–1833: one seat

From statehood to 1833, Illinois had only one congressional district, and therefore it was at-large.

1863–1873: one seat

From 1863 to 1873 there was one at-large seat in addition to the districted seats.

1893–1895: two seats

From 1893 to 1895, there were two at-large seats in addition to the districted seats.

1913–1949: two seats, then one

Two at-large seats were re-established March 4, 1913. From that date to January 3, 1943, there were two at-large seats, which was reduced to one seat from 1943 to 1949. Representation by districts also continued during this period.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Illinois's at-large congressional district” as former U.S. House district in Illinois. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Illinois's, at-large and congressional.

Editorial reviewA strong orientation record where physical form, institutional use and historical geography need to be read together. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1818, 1830, 1946, 1833—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1818-12-03. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Illinois's, at-large and congressional providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Illinois's at-large congressional district”, the useful work is to connect “former U.S. House district in Illinois” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 20, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q17017650. Authority coordinates are 40.000, -89.000. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1818, 1830, 1946 and 1833.

Critical limits

A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.

Best used for
  • Historic place names
  • Jurisdictional context
  • Routes into maps and plans
Verify next

Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Illinois's at-large congressional district”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Illinois's at-large congressional district primary sources, Illinois's at-large congressional district archive and Illinois's research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Illinois's at-large congressional district”?
  2. Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
  3. Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Illinois's at-large congressional district” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.