About Indiana

Indiana means simply "land of the Indians," a name that reflects the large indigenous population that lived in the region when European settlers arrived. When Congress organized the Indiana Territory in 1800, it chose a Latin-style name meaning "land of the Indians" to describe the territory west of Ohio that was still largely under indigenous control. The name was unusual in being explicitly descriptive of the people who already lived there rather than honoring a European monarch or place. Indiana became the 19th state in 1816, by which time the indigenous peoples whose presence inspired the name had been largely displaced through treaties and forced removal.

Indiana is called the Hoosier State, though nobody agrees on where the word "Hoosier" comes from. It may derive from "husher" (a frontier brawler), from a contractor named Hoosier who employed workers from Indiana, or simply from the backwoods greeting "Who's here?" Whatever the origin, Hoosier has become one of the most fiercely proud state identities in America.

Indiana sits at the intersection of the industrial Midwest and the agricultural heartland. Its flat northern plains produce corn, soybeans, and popcorn; its Lake Michigan shoreline once anchored one of the world's greatest steel-producing regions; its limestone quarries have supplied building material for America's greatest structures; and its capital city hosts the world's most famous motor race every Memorial Day weekend.

The state is reliably Republican in statewide elections and has been for most of its recent history. It is deeply tied to manufacturing, agriculture, and a working-class political identity that has only strengthened as deindustrialization hit surrounding states harder. Indiana retains more manufacturing jobs per capita than any other state, a source of both economic strength and ongoing vulnerability.