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Vincennes was the center of the spread of civilization.
The Indiana Territory came into being on July 4, 1800, and Vincennes became it's capitol. That period in history was explored and re-created during the bicentennial celebration in the summer of 2000.
The Indiana Territory was formed from the western part of the Northwest Territory. It covered what is now the state of Illinois, Wisconsin, most of Indiana, the eastern part of Minnesota and the western half of Michigan.
It had a population of approximately 12,000 native Americans and 6,000 settlers who mainly lived in the southern part of the territory. Vincennes, selected because it was in the center of the area of the settlement, served as the capital from 1800 to 1813. William Henry Harrison, the Northwest Territory's delegate to Congress, was appointed the first governor of the territory by President John Adams.
In 1805 the territory legislature was called the General Assembly and was a bicameral legislature consisting of a nine-man House of Representatives, elected by the adult free white male inhabitants, and a five-man Legislative Council, appointed by the president until 1809, and then elected by the people.
The second session of the Third General Assembly met at the "red house" until it adjourned on Dec. 19, 1911. Originally the building stood on the southwest side of Main Street in Vincennes, halfway between Second and Third streets. The structure was built between 1804 and 1806 as a tailor shop. It is now preserved as the Indiana Territory State Historic Site at First and Harrison streets in Vincennes.
During the years Vincennes was the capital of the Indiana Territory it was the center of the spread of civilization throughout the region.
The first college in the territory was founded in Vincennes, the first newspaper was published and the first library was established. The first historical society was organized as was the first agricultural society.
The territory grew from a vast area on the edge of civilization to become the destination of many settlers looking for a better life after the War of 1812.
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Princeton Indiana History
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