History of the Illinois National Guard

As a proud sponsor of NGAUS 2014, the Pritzker Military Museum & Library produced—in collaboration with the National Guard Association of Illinois and the Illinois State Military Museum—a short video overview on the history of the Illinois National Guard.

Since before the founding of the Republic, the people of Illinois have willingly and voluntarily taken up arms to defend themselves, their homes, their families, and their neighbors from enemies. They personify the concept of the Citizen Soldier and exemplify the values of a free people who fight, when necessary, to defend both their own freedoms and those of others. Now embarking on their third century of service, the men and women of the Illinois National Guard remain a crucial part of the Armed Forces.