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First explored for France by Robert Cavelier,
Sieur de la Salle, in 1679–1680, the region figured importantly
in the Franco-British struggle for North America that culminated
with British victory in 1763. George Rogers Clark led American
forces against the British in the area during the Revolutionary
War and, 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.
During the 19th century, Indiana was the site of several
experimental communities, including those established by George
Rapp and Robert Owen at New Harmony.
Indiana's 41-mile Lake Michigan waterfront—one of the world's
great industrial centers—turns out iron, steel, and oil
products. Products include automobile parts and accessories,
mobile homes and recreational vehicles, truck and bus bodies,
aircraft engines, farm machinery, and fabricated structural
steel. Wood office furniture and pharmaceuticals are also
manufactured.
The state is a leader in agriculture with corn the principal
crop. Hogs, soybeans, wheat, oats, rye, tomatoes, onions, and
poultry also contribute heavily to Indiana's agricultural
output.
Much of the building limestone used in the U.S. is quarried in
Indiana, which is also a large producer of coal. Other mineral
commodities include crushed stone, cement, and sand and gravel.
Wyandotte Cave, one of the largest in the U.S., is located in
Crawford County in southern Indiana, and West Baden and French
Lick are well known for their mineral springs. Other attractions
include Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Indianapolis Motor
Speedway, Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, and the George
Rogers Clark National Historical Park. |
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