Indiana Territory

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Indiana Territory Map

The Indiana Territory was a historic territory of the United States that existed between 1800 and 1816. It was created by a law passed by Congress, which President John Adams signed on May 7, 1800, and it did not actually take effect until July 4. It was the first newly created territory that from the 1787 through the Northwest Ordinance created Northwest Territory emerged.

Original boundaries

The original boundaries of the territory included the area of ​​the Northwest Territory west of the Great Miami River . Furthermore, the border line ran north of its upper reaches in Indian Lake (now Logan County , Ohio ) along about 83 ° 45 'west longitude. The territory included what is now known as Indiana , Illinois, and Wisconsin , as well as parts of Minnesota , originally part of the Northwest Territory. It also included almost all of the upper peninsula of present-day Michigan and the western half of the lower peninsula , as well as the part of present-day Ohio west of the Great Miami River. This last piece became part of the state of Ohio when it was inducted into the Union in 1803. The eastern half of Michigan was added to the Indiana Territory at that time.

Provisional Administrative Authority of the District of Louisiana

From October 1, 1804 to July 4, 1805, administrative power over the District of Louisiana had been expanded to include the governor and judges of the Indiana Territory.

This was the first attempt to regulate the Upper Louisiana part of the Louisiana Purchase , which between 1763 and 1803 first belonged to Spain and then briefly to France , before finally being transferred to the United States.

Under the terms of the law that resulted in the formation of the Provisional Government, Governor, and Judges of the Indiana Territory, it was also intended that they meet twice a year in St. Louis , Missouri.

District residents objected to many of the new US administration's regulations. On July 4, 1805, the territory west of Mississippi became the Louisiana Territory .

One of the most significant events of this period was the Treaty of St. Louis ( Treaty of St. Louis in which the) Sauk and Fox ceded the northeast section of Missouri, the northern part of Illinois and the southern part of Wisconsin in the United States. The resentment of this treaty made the tribes side with the British during the War of 1812 , raiding the Missouri, Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, and it spurred the Black Hawk War of 1832.

The anti-slavery provisions of the Northwest Ordinance remained in effect within the Indiana Territory, and Governor William Henry Harrison organized a convention in 1802 to seek their abolition or suspension. The Congress answer came in 1808 and was very clear:

"At the exact same moment that the development of the mind and popular charity turns to slavery to its deserved destination ... the Indiana Territory must take a step backwards into barbarism"

- Congress Committee : from the report of the Congress Committee to which the petition was addressed

The petition was denied.

Establishment of the Michigan and Illinois Territories

The area of ​​the Territory was again diminished with the creation of the Michigan Territory in 1805 and again with the creation of the Illinois Territory in 1809 . The April 19, 1816 law that authorized the population of the Indiana Territory to form a state expanded Indiana to include approximately 30 parishes from the Michigan Territory. The territory thus formed reached the current boundaries of the state of Indiana.

Vincennes was the capital of the Indiana Territory from 1800 to 1813, and Corydon from 1813 to 1816 . The latter also became the first capital of the newly established state. The territory originally had three counties : St. Clair , Wayne, and Knox . Knox County included all of what is now Indiana. William Henry Harrison was Governor of the Indiana Territory from May 13, 1800 to December 28, 1812. John Gibson , Territorial Minister, was acting governor during Harrison's absence between July 4, 1800 and January 10, 1801, and between June 1812 and May 1813. Thomas Posey was appointed governor on March 3, 1813, and served until Stop at the moment when the first state governor was sworn in on November 7, 1816.

On December 11, 1816, Indiana became the 19th US state with Jonathan Jennings as governor.

See also

Web links

Commons : Indiana Territory  - collection of pictures, videos, and audio files