Statehood:  Indiana became the 19th State on December 11, 1816 under President James Madison.  Nickname:  The Hoosier State Motto:  “The Crossroads of America” Capital:  Indianapolis Population:  6,313,520 (2006 U.S. Census Estimate)

To learn more about Indiana, visit The State of Indiana web site or the Indiana Historical Bureau.

Indiana’s Statehood

On May 13, 1800, future President William Henry Harrison was appointed governor of the Indiana Territory in accordance with the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which determined how the Northwest Territories would be divided and governed before they applied for statehood.

In 1804, the residents of Indiana voted to convene a general assembly, which advanced the territory to the second stage of government, moving towards statehood.  The Indiana Territory was then divided twice by Congress, first in 1805 and again in 1809, creating the territories of Michigan and Illinois.

The seven-member General Assembly voted in 1811 to petition Congress for statehood.  Representatives Peter Jones of Knox, James Dill of Dearborn, and Richard Rue of Wayne opposed the petition on the basis the territory was too small and the population too scattered to be a viable state. 

It was not until four years later, in 1815, when Indiana was able to successfully petition Congress because of a provision in the Northwest Ordinance that required a minimum population of 60,000 people for statehood.  A population census commissioned in 1814 showed that 63,897 people were living in the territory, making it eligible for statehood.

In April of 1816, President James Madison signed the Enabling Act which allowed Indiana to form a constitutional convention.  The delegates met in Corydon, the state capital at the time, and were led by Jonathan Jennings, who was elected the first governor of Indiana that year. 

The first congressmen and senators from Indiana were present at the opening of Congress on December 2, 1816.  Nine days later on December 11, 1816, President Madison approved Indiana’s admission in to the union as the 19th state.

For a complete timeline of Indiana’s path to statehood, visit the Indiana Historical Bureau.

What is a Hoosier?

For over 150 years, the people of Indiana have been called Hoosiers.  The term can be traced back to the 1830s. 

In 1833, John Finely wrote the poem, “The Hoosier’s Nest,” which was published in the Indianapolis Journal.  The original spelling of the word was “Hoosher.”  Only days after the poem was published on January 1, 1883, John W. Davis, then a member of the Indiana House of Representatives, made a toast to “The Hoosher State of Indiana” at the Jackson Day dinner in Indianapolis.

Some other theories on the origin of “Hoosier:”

• When a visitor knocked on a cabin door in Indiana, the settler inside would respond, "Who's yere?" From this response, Indiana became the "Who's yere" or Hoosier state.
• Indiana rivermen were known for being formidable fighters who could trounce or "hush" their adversaries in battle. They became known as "hushers," and eventually Hoosiers.
• A contractor named Hoosier who worked on the Louisville and Portland Canal preferred to hire people from Indiana. They were called “Hoosier’s men.” Eventually, all Indianans were called Hoosiers.

Regardless of its origin, the word Hoosier is the proud nickname of the people of Indiana.

Adapted from “The Word Hoosier” by the Indiana Historical Bureau.