The Illinois Herald was the first newspaper published in the Illinois Territory and a key voice in pushing for statehood. Although it was based in the territorial capital at Kaskaskia from May 1814 to April 1816, only this December 13, 1814, issue survives. The stories printed here inform early Illinoisans of events from around the nation and the world, including the still-raging War of 1812 between U.S. forces and the British in Canada. The paper changed names a few times before moving with the capital to Vandalia in 1820, where it eventually went out of print.