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Tuesday through Saturday10 a.m. - 5 p.m
Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center 450 West Ohio Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202
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Indiana Experience Admission $15 Adults$14 Seniors (60 and over)$5 Youth (ages 5 through 17)$2 Access Pass HoldersFree Children under 5Free IHS MembersFree Educators and Military Free parking with admission in IHS lot off New York Street.
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Territorial Indiana, American Revolution and Statehood

Painting of pioneer cabin with family and horse

Through treaties and other removal policies, Native lands in Indiana were gradually opened for white settlement. Americans flooded across the Appalachians, down the Ohio River, and across the trails. Many pioneers believed that land would not only provide their living but also lay the foundation for freedom, equality and democracy. Those American ideals were important to pioneers. Among those seeking a better life in Indiana were African American pioneers. Free blacks and escaped slaves sought the same opportunities as white pioneers.

On Dec. 11, 1816, U.S. president James Madison signed the congressional resolution admitting Indiana to the Union as the 19th state. It was now up to Hoosiers to define their place in the American nation.

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Suggested search terms

  • Indians
  • Northwest Territory
  • Indiana Territory
  • George Rogers Clark
  • Anthony Wayne
  • William Henry Harrison
  • William Conner
  • Vincennes
  • pioneer
  • Abraham Lincoln
  • canals
  • river transportation
  • Caleb Mills
  • New Harmony
  • 1851 Constitution

Additional Books

Additional Resources

Download related curriculum

Frontier Indiana
Pioneer Indiana
Constitutionally Speaking

Read about this subject in Hoosiers and the American Story

Chapter 2: American Expansion Across the Appalachian Mountains
Chapter 3: Pioneers and Politics

Related Indiana Academic Standards for Social Studies (2014)

Grade 4: 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.8, 1.9, 1.17, 2.1, 2.3, 2.7, 3.4, 3.8, 3.9, 3.12
Grade 8: 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 1.10, 1.11, 1.14, 1.17, 1.18, 1.20, 1.21, 1.30, 2.1, 2.5, 3.9, 4.1, 4.4, 4.5, 4.7
USH: Standard 1, 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3

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ExhibitsOpen 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through SaturdayWilliam H. Smith Memorial LibraryOpen 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through SaturdayHistory MarketOpen 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through SaturdayStardust Terrace Café HoursOpen 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
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Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center450 West Ohio Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202(317) 232-1882
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