The Indiana Portal

Indiana (/ˌɪndiˈænə/ IN-dee-AN) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the south and southeast, and the Wabash River and Illinois to the west. Nicknamed "the Hoosier State", Indiana is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 states. The state's capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the Union as the 19th state on December 11, 1816.

Indigenous resistance to American settlement was broken with their defeat in Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811, and the collapse of Tecumseh's confederacy in 1813. The new settlers were primarily Americans of British ancestry from the eastern seaboard and the Upland South, and Germans. After the Civil War, in which the state fought for the Union, natural gas attracted heavy industry and new European immigrants to its northern counties. In the first half of the 20th century, northern and central sections experienced a boom in goods manufacture and automobile production. Southern Indiana remained largely rural. After the rise and fall of the Klan in the 1920s, the state swung politically from the Republican to Democratic Party in the New Deal 1930s. Today, with a decades-long record of returning Republican majorities, Indiana is counted a "red state".

Indiana has a diverse economy with a gross state product in 2023 of 404.3 billion. Indianapolis is at the center of the state's largest metropolitan area, with a population of over two million. The Fort Wayne metro area follows with a population of 645,000. (Full article...)

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19th-century depiction by Kurz and Allison, American troops under the leadership of General William Henry Harrison fighting the Indian forces of The Prophet, Tenskwatawa (the brother of Tecumseh) in a forest.

The Battle of Tippecanoe (/ˌtɪpəkəˈn/ TIP-ə-kə-NOO) was fought on November 7, 1811, in Battle Ground, Indiana, between American forces led by then Governor William Henry Harrison of the Indiana Territory and tribal forces associated with Shawnee leader Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa (commonly known as "The Prophet"), leaders of a confederacy of various tribes who opposed European-American settlement of the American frontier. As tensions and violence increased, Governor Harrison marched with an army of about 1,000 men to attack the confederacy's headquarters at Prophetstown, near the confluence of the Tippecanoe River and the Wabash River.

Tecumseh was not yet ready to oppose the United States by force and was away recruiting allies when Harrison's army arrived. Tenskwatawa was in charge of the Indian warriors during his brother's absence but he was a spiritual leader, not a military man. Harrison camped near Prophetstown on November 6 and arranged to meet with Tenskwatawa the following day. Early the next morning warriors from Prophetstown attacked Harrison's encampment. They took the army by surprise, but Harrison and his men stood their ground for more than two hours. After the battle, Harrison's men burned the abandoned village of Prophetstown to the ground, destroying the food supplies stored there for the winter. The soldiers then returned to their homes. (Full article...)

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Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument
Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument
Credit: Library of Congress
The 284 ft. tall Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in the center of Indianapolis, 1898.

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Downtown Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne is a city in Allen County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is 18 miles (29 km) west of the Ohio border and 50 miles (80 km) south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 at the 2020 census, making it the 2nd-most populous city in Indiana after Indianapolis, and the 82nd-most populous city in the U.S. The Fort Wayne metropolitan area, consisting of Allen, Wells and Whitley counties, has an estimated population of 463,000. Fort Wayne is the cultural and economic center of northeastern Indiana.

Fort Wayne was built in 1794 by the United States Army under the direction of American Revolutionary War general Anthony Wayne, the last in a series of forts built near the Miami village of Kekionga. Named in Wayne's honor, the European-American settlement developed at the confluence of the St. Joseph, St. Marys, and Maumee rivers, known originally as Fort Miami, a trading post constructed by Jean Baptiste Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes around 1706. The modern city was platted in 1823 following its revitalization after the War of 1812 and its siege. It underwent tremendous growth after completion of the Wabash and Erie Canal and advent of the railroad. (Full article...)

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Dean in a publicity still for Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931 – September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He became one of the most influential figures in Hollywood in the 1950s, and his impact on cinema and popular culture was profound, although his career lasted only five years. He appeared in just three major films: Rebel Without a Cause (1955), in which he portrayed a disillusioned and rebellious teenager; East of Eden (1955), which showcased his intense emotional range; and Giant (1956), a sprawling drama. These have been preserved in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for their "cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance". He was killed in a car accident at the age of 24 in 1955, leaving him a lasting symbol of rebellion, youthful defiance, and the restless spirit.

For his role in East of Eden, Dean became the first actor to receive a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. The following year, he earned a second nomination for his performance in Giant, making him the only actor to receive two posthumous acting nominations. In 1999, he was honored by the American Film Institute, being ranked as the 18th greatest male film star from Golden Age Hollywood on their "AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars" list. Time magazine recognized Dean in 2012 as one of the "All-Time Most Influential Fashion Icons". (Full article...)

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Dan Quayle
What a waste it is to lose one's mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is.
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  1. ^ a b "Elevations and Distances in the United States". U.S Geological Survey. 29 April 2005. Retrieved 2006-11-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)