Indiana - School-Age
Indiana
19th State (December 11, 1816), midwest U.S.
State Abbreviation: IN
Capital: Indianapolis
Origin of name: The meaning is "land of Indians."
Motto: The Crossroads of America
Nickname: The Hoosier State
Indiana State Symbols
Indiana: State Seal
Bird: Cardinal
Beverage: Water
Flower: Peony
Pie: Sugar cream pie
Poem: Indiana, by Arthur Franklin Mapes
River: Wabash River
Indiana Video
Things to Know
United States Senators from Indiana.
In 1679, Frenchmen led by Rene-Robert Cavelier , Sieur de La Salle, became the first Europeans to set foot in Indiana as they explored the Mississippi valley. At the end of the French and Indian War in 1763, Britain took French-controlled American territory including Indiana.
In 1803, Lewis and Clark set out on their expedition west from the southern Indiana town of Clarksville, IN.
American colonel George Rogers Clark led American forces against the British in the area during the Revolutionary War. After the war, Indiana became a U.S. possession as part of what was known as the Northwest Territory. Prior to becoming a state, Indiana was the scene of frequent Indian uprisings until the victories of Gen. Anthony Wayne at Fallen Timbers in 1794 and Gen. William Henry Harrison at Tippecanoe in 1811. In 1816, Indiana was admitted to the Union as the nineteenth state. Indiana was the first state to provide a state-supported school system.
Indiana's 41-mile Lake Michigan waterfront is one of the world's great industrial centers. Producing iron, steel, oil products, automobile parts, mobile homes and recreational vehicles, truck and bus bodies, aircraft engines, farm machinery, wood office furniture and pharmaceuticals.
The Cherokee silversmith, Sequoyah (1776-1843),was the only known man in the history of the world to single-handedly develop an alphabet.
In agriculture Indiana is the leader with corn production. Hogs, soybeans, wheat, oats, rye, tomatoes, onions, and poultry also contribute to Indiana's agricultural output. Indiana is the top popcorn producing state, 90% of the world’s popcorn is grown in Indiana.
One of the largest caves in the U.S. is Wyandotte cave located in Crawford County in southern Indiana.
Major Rivers: Ohio River , Kankakee River , Wabash River , White River , Tippecanoe River
Famous Hoosiers
Wilbur Wright (1867-1912), inventor, Millville, In.
Ernie Pyle (1900-1945), Pulitzer prize winning journalist in World War II.
Orville Redenbacher (1907-1995), businessman-founder of the Gourmet Popping Corn brand, Brazil, Indiana
James R. Hoffa (1913-1975?), labor leader, Brazil, In.
Virgil Grissom (1926-1967), astronaut, Mitchell, In.
J. Danforth Quayle (1947 - ), vice president, Indianapolis, In.
Things to Do
Indiana State Bird and State Flower Printable Color Page.
Indiana Flag Map color page
Sites to See
History and information on the Wabash River and the Erie Canal.
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race is an automobile race, held annually over the Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana.
