The Chicago Historical Museum was founded in 1856, a very historical year, politically speaking, because the Whig Party collapsed over the slavery issue (the fugitive slave act, et.al.) and Abraham Lincoln and other disenchanted Whigs founded the Republican Party in Ripon, Wisconsin. When you visit the Chicago Historical Museum, you will learn that Lincoln parlayed an appearance at the first Republican Convention in Chicago to cobble together enough votes to win the 1860 Republican Party Presidential Nomination. Thus, Chicago played a prominent role in Lincoln's subsequent election to the American Presidency. Aside from the Lincoln angle, there is a wealth of information and some really interesting exhibits about the history of Chicago. The museum is top-notch, and is the place to go to learn about Chicago.