Indiana History

Paleo-Indian peoples first inhabit the region, hunting mastodon and giant ground sloth across the glacial landscape.

Mississippian culture builds Angel Mounds, a major settlement near present-day Evansville with earthen mounds, plazas, and a population of over 1,000.

René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, becomes the first European to explore Indiana, portaging from the St. Joseph River to the Kankakee.

French settlers establish Vincennes on the Wabash River — the first permanent European settlement in Indiana and one of the oldest in the Midwest.

France cedes the Indiana region to Britain following the French and Indian War under the Treaty of Paris.

George Rogers Clark captures Vincennes from the British in a daring winter campaign, securing the Northwest frontier for the American cause.

The Northwest Ordinance establishes governance over the territory that includes Indiana, banning slavery and guaranteeing civil liberties.

Indiana Territory is formally created by Congress with the capital at Vincennes. William Henry Harrison serves as the first territorial governor.

The Battle of Tippecanoe: Governor Harrison defeats Tecumseh's confederacy near present-day Lafayette, a pivotal moment in frontier history.

The territorial capital moves from Vincennes to Corydon, a small town in southern Indiana closer to the population center.

Indiana becomes the 19th state on December 11. The constitution is drafted in Corydon under a giant elm tree, now memorialized as the Constitutional Elm.

The state capital moves from Corydon to the newly planned city of Indianapolis, located at the geographic center of the state.

Indiana constructs the Wabash and Erie Canal — at 468 miles, it was the longest canal ever built in North America, connecting the Great Lakes to the Ohio River.

The first railroad in Indiana, the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad, begins service, beginning the decline of the canal system.

Indiana adopts a new state constitution that remains in effect today, replacing the original 1816 document.

Indiana contributes approximately 210,000 soldiers to the Union Army — the highest per-capita contribution of any state. Governor Oliver Morton becomes one of Lincoln's most important political allies.

Colonel Eli Lilly founds Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis, beginning what will become one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies.

The Indiana Gas Boom draws thousands of manufacturers to east-central Indiana. Towns like Muncie, Anderson, and Kokomo explode in population.

Elwood Haynes of Kokomo test-drives one of America's first gasoline-powered automobiles along Pumpkinvine Pike on July 4.

U.S. Steel creates the city of Gary on the shores of Lake Michigan, transforming northwest Indiana into a major steelmaking center.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is completed, establishing Indianapolis as a global landmark and an engine of economic growth for central Indiana.

The Great Depression devastates Indiana's industrial cities. WPA and CCC projects build many of the state parks, shelters, and bridges still in use today.

Indiana's factories pivot to wartime production: engines, ammunition, steel, and supplies. Allison Engine Company in Indianapolis builds engines for the P-38 and P-51 fighters.

The Indiana Toll Road opens, connecting the Chicago region to Ohio via I-80/90. The Interstate Highway System will eventually give Indiana more interstate miles per square mile than any other state.

Indianapolis adopts "Unigov," merging the city and Marion County governments — one of the most significant municipal consolidations in American history.

Indiana officially adopts "The Crossroads of America" as its state motto, recognizing the state's central transportation role.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is upgraded to Indiana Dunes National Park, becoming the 61st U.S. national park and the only one in Indiana.