Category Archives: Education

Whodunit? IHS has – since 2017!

As Halloween looms closer, the IHS was abuzz with one of our favorite events of the year – Whodunit? This year was no exception as we celebrated the seventh live murder mystery event based on a real Indiana murder. We’ll share the details of the story on Halloween; for now, I wanted to share the […]

Latino Arts Movement of the Early Twentieth Century

Expanding the narrative of Latino history in the Indiana might be called by some, “filling in the gap,” but really it is filling in what I call the in between. From my observation, the general perception of Latino history in the Midwest is that Latinos are either seen as foreigners or farmworkers, with nothing much […]

By the Train Loads: Mexican Repatriation Movement in the Midwest, Part I

This is part one of a two-part series. Within the last few years scholars, and the like, have continued to reflect on the complicated history of the United States; the known and not-so-well known. One of those events is the Mexican Repatriation Movement of the 1930s. Publicly, much of this narrative is focused on western […]

Preparing for National History Day in Indiana at Marian University

The Indiana Historical Society is excited to announce that the National History Day in Indiana State Contest is in-person this year! After a couple of years of being virtual due to the Covid-19 pandemic, students from across the state of Indiana will gather at Marian University (located on the near northwest side of Indianapolis). On […]

Behind the Scenes: Virtual Programming

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit and caused shutdowns in March 2020, the Education and Engagement department was busy travelling the state for National History Day in Indiana contests, running in-building programs, and planning for a full summer schedule. When our job centers on engaging Hoosiers around the state, and we’ve traditionally been doing that in […]

Living the Legacy: Resources for Moving Toward a More Equitable Future

Redlining – the discriminatory practice by which banks refuse or limit mortgages to people of color, ethnic minorities, and low-income workers within specific geographic areas- still defines much of where we live or can live in Indianapolis. These federal government policies, established by the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation in 1933, reinforced segregation and disinvestment in […]

Pukwudgies and Where to Find Them

Probably unknown to most Hoosiers is Indiana’s rich history with cryptids, animals that claim to exist but have never been proven. With Halloween just around the corner, now is the best time to learn about the 3-foot-tall creature lurking in the forests near you.   Many Indigenous people have legends of the Pukwudgies, but one of the most popular places to see […]

Balloons, Elephants and Lawyers, Oh my!

What do hot air balloons, elephants and lawyers have to do with the fight for female suffrage in Indiana? They were all creative ways used by various suffragists to advertise their platform and spread their message demanding equal voting rights.   On November 6, 1894, Helen M. Gougar attempted to vote in Lafayette, Indiana rebelling against the Indiana State Constitution that forbid […]