Indiana Day in the United States Date in the current year: December 11, 2024

Indiana is located in the Midwestern and Great Lakes regions. It borders Lake Michigan, Michigan, Ohio, the Ohio River and Kentucky, and the Wabash River and Illinois. The first Europeans to set foot in what is now Indiana were French-Canadian fur traders. The quickest route from the French colony of Canada (New France) to Louisiana ran along the Wabash River, so control over Indiana was vital for communications and trade. The French established several trade posts, and the rest of the region was inhabited by native tribes.

The British were concerned by the growing influence of France in North America and decided to challenge France for control over Indiana. The struggle for dominance resulted in the French and Indian War, which is considered part of the Seven Years’ War. The war between British American colonies and New France lasted from 1754 to 1763 and resulted in France losing almost all of its North American territories, including Indiana, to Britain.

The word “Indiana” was first formally used to refer to the territory in 1768. In 1773, the British brought the region under the administration of Province of Quebec to appease its French population. After the American Revolutionary War, the area north of the Ohio River, which included Indiana, was ceded to the United States according to the 1783 Treaty of Paris.

In 1787, Indiana became part of the newly formed Northwest Territory, spanning all or large parts of the present-day states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. The Indiana Territory split from the Northwest Territory in 1800. At the time of its creation, the territory had only two main American settlements, and its Native American population was several times more numerous than its white population.

In 1812, Jonathan Jennings, Indiana’s new representative to Congress, introduced legislation to grant the Indiana Territory statehood, even though its population was below the cutoff required for statehood. However, the outbreak of the War of 1812 prevented Congress from making a decision concerning Indiana’s statehood.

In the beginning of 1816, Indiana approved the census. The results of the census showed that the population of the territory was almost 64,000, enough to seek statehood. Things were put into motion; the Constitution of Indiana was adopted in June 1816, the elections were held in August, and Congress approved Indiana’s statehood in November. On December 11, 1816, Indiana was formally admitted to the Union as the 19th state.

The Indiana General Assembly instituted Indiana Day in 1925. Every year, the governor of Indiana issues a proclamation to observe December 11 as Indiana Statehood Day. It is marked with public celebrations and special events at state schools.