Mapping Illinois' Role in U.S. Vegetarian History

A story map by the Vegan Museum, made possible by Illinois Humanities

Additional support provided by DePaul University and Native Foods

January 12, 2023

The state of Illinois has long been known for its role in U.S. meat production, especially given Chicago’s century-long history as the meatpacking capital of the nation from the late 19th - 20th centuries. As is the case with many historical narratives, there are those that are dominant and familiar, and those that rarely get told. We at the Vegan Museum want to tell the less-familiar story of how Illinois has also played a large part in the vegetarian history of the U.S. What follows is this story, and we thank Illinois Humanities for their generous funding of this project, DePaul University Department of Geography for use of/assistance with the ESRI story map program, and Native Foods for their promotional support.

Vegetarianism's Roots

Before focusing on Illinois, it may be helpful to say something about vegetarianism overall. The basis for much of the intentional practice of today's vegetarianism can be traced to religious traditions from Judaism, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Christianity, and philosophical traditions in ancient Greece and Rome.

FUN FACT: The word "vegetarian" wasn't used as it is today until the 1840s, when Bronson Alcott (father of Louisa May Alcott) used it in a newsletter called "The Healthian".

Through the historical movement of people, things, and ideas, these vegetarian roots expanded to England, and then to North America.

Before we get to vegetarianism as a movement in Illinois, let's turn to the time before then and explore some of the state's natural and human history that connects with plant-based diets.

The "Dirt on" (in) Illinois

The natural landscape of Illinois offered rich plant resources and horticultural opportunities for Native Americans.

Native American Plant Consumption

Image source: Flickr (photo by Lynn Ketchum)

Although popular culture representations would suggest that Native American diets historically consisted exclusively of wild game, many native peoples, including those in Illinois, were also skilled horticulturalists and foragers of wild plants, especially prior to European colonization.

Vegetarianism's Move West

Although Chicago vegetarians such as Le Favre had been laying the foundation for the shift of U.S. vegetarianism's center, the most significant event was the Federal Vegetarian Union's holding of its annual meeting and having an exhibit at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition (World's Fair) in Chicago. The city had rebuilt after the 1871 Great Fire, was beginning to take its place among other cosmopolitan centers in the U.S. and beyond and, with the Exposition, was showing itself as a seat of modernity and culture. The city's evolution dovetailed with that of vegetarianism.

"[V]egetarians used [the Columbian Exposition] to promote a new spirit of vegetarianism connected to notions of modernity, culture and social advancement" (Shprintzen, p. 8).

1893: The Year that Changed Everything

World's Columbian Exposition souvenir map ( https://www.loc.gov/resource/g4104c.ct002834/ )

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Impact of the 1893 Congress: Growth of Vegetarianism

The Vegetarian Congress’ meeting during the Columbian Exposition was a key moment in U.S. vegetarian history, as it was a coming together of like-minded people who believed in and wanted to promote the positive aspects of a plant-based diet.

In 1897, the impressive extent to which vegetarianism had spread was cited in Britain's Vegetarian Society publication, The Vegetarian Messenger:

“It is remarkable and encouraging that vegetarianism makes steady progress in Chicago. A vegetarian society was established in 1893 with five members, now it is one of the largest in the United States and has three branches in Chicago.”

(Source for quotation: International Vegetarian Union )

Chicago's Other Claim to Fame

Despite the growth of vegetarianism in Chicago and beyond in the late 19th century, Chicago was also becoming (in)famous for its slaughterhouses and meat packing industry.

The British Society's The Vegetarian Messenger and the Chicago Society's Vegetarian Magazine were two publications attempting to shed light on the negative impact of the meat industry, promoting vegetarianism as a viable, healthier, and more ethical alternative. In 1900, The Vegetarian Messenger stated:

"The Vegetarian Magazine ‘discountenances the use of flesh, fish and fowl for food, upholds the right of life for the whole sentient world, advocates justice, humanitarianism, purity, hygiene, temperance, stands for a stronger body, a healthier mentality, a higher morality.’ This is a worthy programme. The Vegetarian Magazine shows that Chicago is not given over entirely to slaughter-houses.”

(Source for quotation: International Vegetarian Union )

These two publications were not the only ones working to expose the dark side of Chicago's slaughterhouses. The author Upton Sinclair (1878 - 1968) became famous for his work on this subject.

Vegetarian Athletes

A few years after publication of The Jungle, and not far away from the stock yards, the influence of vegetarianism made its way to the coach of the Maroons, the University of Chicago's football team.

Fast forward approximately 25 years, and Chicago was again in the global spotlight, hosting its second World's Fair, 40 years after the Columbian Exposition. This time, a crop of great importance for plant-based diets--the soybean--took center stage.

Century of Progress Exposition - 1933 - 1934

By Weimer Pursell, silkscreen print by Neely Printing Co., Chicago - Image source: United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division.

Vegetarian Politics

The Century of Progress World's Fair was held approximately a decade and a half after World War I and during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl years. Unknown at the time, in less than 10 years the U.S. would become embroiled in World War II.

Vegetarianism Post-1950s

Photo by **Magda Ehlers** from **Pexels**

The dramatic events of the first half of the twentieth century, having had such a devastating impact on the U.S. economy and morale, also limited the growth of vegetarian groups and establishments during that time. Therefore, the rest of our story continues after the 1950s. The 1960s and 1970s are a time period that many people (mistakenly!) assume saw the genesis of vegetarianism in the U.S.

Following the early 20th-century events and the lifestyle changes that followed, the 1960’s saw the increased questioning of conventional social norms. For many, this manifested as pacifism, advocating for minority and women's rights, and increased concern for the environment (although all of these concerns had much longer histories as well). The earlier focus on vegetarianism and health reappeared with gusto, this time with many individuals also incorporating an interest in eastern religions such as Buddhism. Tofu (made from soybeans) now started to be a staple of a vegetarian diet.

Following these larger social trends, in the 1970s vegetarian restaurants, food stores, and publications started to find their way back onto the Illinois map.

FUN FACT: Tofu had actually been introduced to the U.S. on two earlier occasions. The first was by Ben Franklin who, in the late 1700s, mentioned the "Chinese cheese" in a letter to a good friend, and the second was by Chinese scientist and medical doctor Yamei Kin , who promoted it as a meat substitute in the early 1900s.

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21st-century vegetarianism

From these early entrepreneurs, vegetarian and, importantly, vegan, eating options over the years have grown in Illinois along with the rest of the U.S. As of 2019, there are a total of 73 vegetarian, vegan, and raw vegan restaurants in Illinois according to the vegetarian food locator website HappyCow . Scroll down to learn more!

We hope you have enjoyed learning about Illinois' role in U.S. vegetarian history! This story map was created through the combined efforts of Connie Johnston (DePaul University), Maddie Robertson (DePaul '19), Kay Stepkin (National Vegetarian Museum), and Rasa Whittaker (DePaul '19). We all would like to express our gratitude, again, to Illinois Humanities, DePaul University, and Native Foods!

www.vegmuse.org

References

Link: Bronson Alcott - https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bronson-Alcott
Link: Hinduism - https://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=5668
Link: Jainism - https://www.britannica.com/topic/Jainism
Link: Buddhism - https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780195393521/obo-9780195393521-0150.xml
Image: Pythagoras - https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2580073
Link: Learn more about Greco-Roman veg - http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2010/08/the-hidden-history-of-greco-roman-vegetarianism/
Text: Pythagoreans - http://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/evolution-vegetarianism/
Text: Bible Christians founding and move to US - Shprintzen: https://www.uncpress.org/book/9781469626529/the-vegetarian-crusade/
Text and link: Illinois physical geography formation - https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/education/Pages/SchwegmanGlacier.aspx
Text: IL soil richness - https://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/N/bo3618786.html
Text: Soil details and Fun Fact - https://www.soils4teachers.org/files/s4t/k12outreach/il-state-soil-booklet.pdf
Picture: Historical map - https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3700.ct000666/
Text: Historical quotation - https://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/N/bo3618786.html
Picture: Corn fields in Central Illinois - https://live.staticflickr.com/2839/33504180250_30dae7624c_o.jpg
Text and picture: Prime farmland - https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/technical/econ/stateresources/?cid=stelprdb1044076
Picture: Hazelnuts - https://flickr.com/photos/oregonstateuniversity/48821863443/
Text and links: Native American diets - https://publications.newberry.org/indiansofthemidwest/the-homeland-its-use/land-water-and-forest/ AND http://www.museum.state.il.us/muslink/nat_amer/post/htmls/ec_gathering.html
Text and link: Candace Wheeler - https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cawh/hd_cawh.htm
Text and link: Fun Fact - corn as IL state vegetable - https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/illinois/food-agriculture/sweet-corn
Text and link: Corn size comparison - http://story.illinoisstatemuseum.org/content/rise-corn
Text: Three sisters - https://extension.illinois.edu/downloads/cjmm/65124.pdf
Text and link: Fun Fact - Companion Planting Chart for Vegetables | Guide to Companion Planting | The Old Farmer's Almanac
Picture: Three sisters drawing - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Three_Sisters_companion_planting_technique.jpg
Text: US vegetarianism's move west - Shprintzen: https://www.uncpress.org/book/9781469626529/the-vegetarian-crusade/
Text: Carrica La Favre - Shprintzen: https://www.uncpress.org/book/9781469626529/the-vegetarian-crusade/
Picture: Columbian Expo Souvenir map - https://www.loc.gov/resource/g4104c.ct002834/
Text: World's Fair attendance - Iacobbo: https://www.abc-clio.com/Praeger/product.aspx?pc=E1829C
Text: Vegetarian Union and Henry Clubb - https://ivu.org/
Text: Bonney - Schprintzen: https://www.uncpress.org/book/9781469626529/the-vegetarian-crusade/
Text: World's Fair attendee locations - Shprintzen: https://www.uncpress.org/book/9781469626529/the-vegetarian-crusade/ AND https://ivu.org/
Text: Kellogg and Sanitarium - https://web.archive.org/web/20110606132412/http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/hso/sites/3310.htm AND Iacobbo: https://www.abc-clio.com/Praeger/product.aspx?pc=E1829C
Text: Development of meat substitutes - Shprintzen: https://www.uncpress.org/book/9781469626529/the-vegetarian-crusade/ AND Iacobbo: https://www.abc-clio.com/Praeger/product.aspx?pc=E1829C AND https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/catalog/76dkf5sm9780252087240.html
Link: Protose - https://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/story/life/2019/10/04/fake-meat-battle-creek-kellogg-vegetarianism-seventh-day-adventist-protose/2301425001/
Text: National connections at the Exposition - Shprintzen: https://www.uncpress.org/book/9781469626529/the-vegetarian-crusade/ AND Iacobbo: https://www.abc-clio.com/Praeger/product.aspx?pc=E1829C
Text: Impact of Exposition and changing nature of vegetarianism - Shprintzen: https://www.uncpress.org/book/9781469626529/the-vegetarian-crusade/
Text: Vegetarian Eating Club and Turkey-free Thanksgivings - Shprintzen: https://www.uncpress.org/book/9781469626529/the-vegetarian-crusade/ AND https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/catalog/76dkf5sm9780252087240.html
Text: Magazines and publishing - Shprintzen: https://www.uncpress.org/book/9781469626529/the-vegetarian-crusade/
Text: Vegetarian commerce and first veg restaurant - Shprintzen: https://www.uncpress.org/book/9781469626529/the-vegetarian-crusade/ AND http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2013/10/18/chicago-vegetarian-capital-of-america-c-1905
Text: Chicago Tribune - Shprintzen: https://www.uncpress.org/book/9781469626529/the-vegetarian-crusade/
Text: Veg magazines' commentary on Chicago's meat industry - http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2013/10/18/chicago-vegetarian-capital-of-america-c-1905
Text: The Jungle and its impact - https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Jungle-novel-by-Sinclair AND Iacobbo: https://www.abc-clio.com/Praeger/product.aspx?pc=E1829C
Text: Columbian Exposition of 1893 - Haddix, Carol Mighton., et al. The Chicago Food Encyclopedia. University of Illinois Press, 2017.
Picture: Kellogg
Text: Kellog - Haddix, Carol Mighton., et al. The Chicago Food Encyclopedia. University of Illinois Press, 2017.
Text: Vegetarian Eating Club (beside map) - Haddix, Carol Mighton., et al. The Chicago Food Encyclopedia. University of Illinois Press, 2017 AND Vegetarian Messenger
Picture and Text: Pure Food Lunch Room - National Vegetarian Museum
Text: Vegetarian Messenger and Vegetarian Magazine - Gebert, Michael. “Chicago, Vegetarian Capital of America (c. 1905).” Chicago Reader, Chicago Reader, 30 Mar. 2019.
Picture: The Vegetarian cover August 1938 - National Vegetarian Museum
Picture: Title - Chicago's Other - Flickr
Text: The Jungle - Iacobbo, Karen, et al. Vegetarian America: A History. Praeger, 2010.
Picture: Union Stockyards gate postcard - http://chuckmancollectionvolume11.blogspot.com/2016/
Picture: Stockyards aerial perspective - National Vegetarian Museum
Text and Pictures: University of Chicago football team - Atlas Obscura: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/athletes-who-are-vegetarian
Text: Great Depression - Iacobbo, Karen, et al. Vegetarian America: A History. Praeger, 2010.
Picture: Ford Exposition ad - United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division.
Text: Ford Exposition (1) - Iacobbo, Karen, et al. Vegetarian America: A History. Praeger, 2010.
Text: Ford Exposition (2) - https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/agr/About/Pages/Facts-About-Illinois-Agriculture.aspx
Map: Ford Exposition (2) - Data from Esri, derived from USDA, 2013 growing season
Text: Fun Fact - https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/ben-franklin-may-be-responsible-bringing-tofu-america-180968495/
Text: World War II food trends - Time Magazine
Picture: Modern vegetarian establishments - Unsplash
Pictures and Text: The Bread Shop - Kay Stepkin
Picture: Vegetarian Times cover - The Vegan Museum
Text: Vegetarian Times - Megan, Graydon. “Paul Obis, who started Vegetarian Times, dies”. Chicago Tribune. 6 July 2018. Web. Accessed 21 February 2018.
Text: Paul Obis' lecture in ME and testifying at US Congress - Iacobbo: https://www.abc-clio.com/Praeger/product.aspx?pc=E1829C
Text: Soul Vegetarian - Chicago Food Encyclopedia
Picture: Title - 21st-century - Unsplash
Map: Vegetarian Restaurants in Illinois - HappyCow, The Vegan Museum
Text: Soybean US history - http://www.soyinfocenter.com/HSS/illinois.php
Text: IL and global soybean production uses - https://www.ilsoyadvisor.com/about-us/soybean-facts AND https://www.ucsusa.org/global-warming/stop-deforestation/drivers-of-deforestation-2016-soybeans
Text: Corn info - https://www.nass.usda.gov/Quick_Stats/Ag_Overview/stateOverview.php?state=ILLINOIS AND http://www.agintheclassroom.org/TeacherResources/AgMags/Corn_AgMagforSmartBoard_3.pdf
Text and Nelson quotation: VegSource