Getting out of the classroom and going to the museum was an awesome experience. Admittedly, even after living here a few years, I did not visit the McLean County Museum. I have driven/walked past it a multitude of times, however, and thought "hey, what a cool building." Going to the museum, I think, helped to open the blinds on a lot of the history and political on-goings in Bloomington. And the inside of the building is absolutely asthetically amazing (it would be interesting to see what the buildings looked like the first, second, and third times built).
The Blo-no area really does have a deeply rich history. I thoroughly enjoyed going through each exhibit and seeing the different components of Bloomington's history, which helped me to see how and why the political infrastructure is the way it is. Personally, I found the politics gallery to be the most fascinating. It is interesting to think that the surrounding area is responsible for a lot of the government regulations which are placed on corporations via the case of The People v. Chicago & Alton Railroad. Also, with the help of Bloomington, Illinois became the first state to the east of the Mississippi to grant suffrage to women. It was also very interesting seeing all the different types of people who migrated here from all over the nation and the world, and how they interwove to become the modern Bloomington as we know it.
It is evident, now, how modern politics of Bloomington arose. Being a major transportation hub in the past, as well as majorly a rural community, the deep conservatism that exists here should come as no surprise. It was also fun to look at the role of Illinois State and Illinois Wesleyan, and their large population of "hippies," in the development of the region. I developed a strange sense of pride when looking at those pictures and stories. It's amazing the impact universities can truly have on the surrounding areas, and collectively around the nation.
Overall, the museum visit was very insightful. I'm really glad I did this before I left.
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