The History of "Egypt"

When Southern Illinois was being settled by people of Western European descent in the early 19th century, Egypt was understood not through Egyptological scholarship (which was still in development) but primarily due to biblical references such as the Exodus narrative. Earthen mounds, such as at Cahokia, drew comparisons with Egyptian pyramids, and the Mississippi was referred to as the “American Nile”. The association with Egypt began as a positive one—an acknowledgment of agricultural abundance and prosperity as well as a desire to link a “new land” with the grandeur of the “Old World”; this link was strengthened in the early 1830s when a climatological event resulted in people from central and northern Illinois “going down to Egypt [Southern Illinois] for grain” like the tale of Joseph’s brothers in Genesis 42.

This Egyptian identity began to change in the years leading up to the Civil War and took on a more sinister and derogatory connotation. The overarching narrative found in contemporary publications was one of darkness, ignorance, violence, and moral degeneracy. The phrases “darkest Egypt” or “dark as Egypt” entered into common usage in American news and literary sources. In 1861, there was a near rebellion in the town square of Marion, Illinois, led by Southern Sympathizers who wanted to break away from the rest of Illinois, join the Confederacy, and create a new state called “Egypt” that would allow slavery. Southern Illinois’ most famous son, General John A. Logan, is credited with quashing those ideas and reaffirming support for the Union.

After the Civil War, Southern Illinoisans held fast to, and, in many ways, solidified an “Egyptian” cultural identity by looking to their past and interviewing “old men” of the towns to hear what they could remember about Egypt in the “old days”. The cultural heritage of the region and the qualities of being an “Egyptian” were well-documented in regional ballads, folk tales, superstitions, and in peculiar turns of phrase. Southern Illinois today takes pride in its Egyptian heritage by continuing the affiliation with Egyptian motifs in signage and business branding— albeit with little knowledge of this complex past. The information found in the “We Are for Egypt” Handbook and album ties Egypt, Illinois’ past and present together. Enjoy your virtual visit through “Egypt, Illinois”!