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Item Indian Letter to the Government(2011-11-03) Coy, TommyPrior even to the Revolution, many Indian tribes in the Northwest Territory chose not to side with either the French or the British in the French and Indian War. The war was simple: land. The Indians just couldn’t wrap their heads around the constant bickering over land. The Indians view of “land” was quite different than that of the English and the French. Bickering and usage of the land was the major dispute, and because the Indians saw land as something shared, and the English settlers moving into this territory at the time of the letter (1771) saw it as property, disputes were inevitable. Constant battling between settlers and Indian tribes being on land the settlers saw as “their land” caused catastrophic consequences. This letter outlines the position of the tribes listed and their hopes for peace and friendship between the tribes and the settlers.Item Defense & Exploration of Territory(2011-11-03) Coy, TommyWith the victory of the Americans over the British in the Revolutionary War came a large amount of territory that many of the Founding Fathers knew barely anything about. That territory needed to explored, laid out for defense and for possible governance, and needed to be mapped for geographical purposes. The territory that would eventually become the states of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota had little but military forts and a large number of Native Americans. Very little was known about this area, and thus Secretary of War Henry Knox, one of President George Washington’s most trusted military advisors, believed something must be done to explore the area. Meanwhile, the few citizens that did live in the area, and those that might migrate to the area, must be protected. In the last half of the letter written by Henry Knox, he outlines his course of action for settlement, development, and other necessary tasks for the areaItem Northwest Territory Protection and Governance(2011-11-03) Coy, TommyJust two years into the Presidency of George Washington and four years into the great experiment that was the United States of America, the discussion became what the responsibility was of the U.S. Government in territories in the far reaching west. Mainly, there were discussing the protection of the people living in the Northwest Territory from Indian attacks and also possible attacks from British and or French soldiers still prominent in the area. The Northwest Territory was also disputed by the governments of the nations, and thus fighting was almost unavoidable. And, the Native Americans, who truly lived in the land longer than any, also had to be contended with. The writing of Secretary of War Henry Knox to President George Washington outlines his suggestions on how the people desperately need some type of protection against these enemies.Item Exploration of the Mississinewa River Area/Indiana Northwest Territory Exploration(2011-11-03) Coy, TommyWritten nearly six years before Indiana would be admitted into the United States, Col. James Simrall gives thorough details of the exploration that was made in the area of what would become Indiana around the Mississinewa River area. He detailed greatly what he saw, and took note of significant Indian tribes that were in the area. This would be significant in that the new government would have to take into account the thousands of Native Americans that populated the area, and how the people would be handled, treated, and dealt with when becoming a state.Item Morton versus Cameron(2011-11-03) Coy, GaryGovernor Morton had much going on, and couldn’t just work within his own borders without the help and the guidance of the Federal Government. He needed aid, and that aid was sometimes slow in coming. Thus, the Secretary of Defense, Simon Cameron, was always the man to go to. However, as can be seen in these dispatches, they weren’t always pleasant.Item Socratic Seminar: Governor vs. President “Who has the most Responsibility?”(2011-11-03) Coy, TommyThe Civil War throughout the history books has shown the power and the prestige of President Abraham Lincoln, and what all he had to do to prepare for war. However, not much is talked about in terms of the responsibilities of the states involved. That gives a look at the governor of each state, and in particular the governor of our own state of Indiana. After looking through the first pages of dispatches sent and received from Governor Oliver P. Morton, he had a tremendous amount of items and requests he had to take care of. Therefore, the argument could be made that Governor Morton had just as many responsibilities in getting his state on a war footing as did the President. But, the debate could be, who had more?Item Socratic Seminar Perspective: Native Americans(2011-11-03) Coy, TommySocratic Seminar and Overall Discussion questions from the Native American perspectiveItem Historical Debate: Meeting the Threat of the Rebels(2011-09-29) Coy, TommyThe United States was just a few short months into the war, BUT states were feeling the heat from their respective governments to produce soldiers to meet the threat of the rebels. However, in the state of Indiana, there were threats from all over the nation. Reports from the southern border of Indiana were beginning to worry Governor Oliver Morton in September 1861. Rebel armies were pushing within 40 miles of the city of Louisville, just across the Ohio River from Indiana. Meanwhile, Generals Fremont in Southern Illinois and Rosecrans in Western Virginia were calling for more and more troops from the state of Indiana. Morton faced a serious dilemma. Where should his troops be sent? What threat should be take more seriously: the threat on his border? Or the threat of the rebels on his nation’s capital?Item Historical Debate: How to deal with the slave states/border states(2011-09-29) Coy, TommyThe United States, at the time shortly after the opening of the Civil War at Fort Sumter, was trying to put together a force to “quash” the rebellion. What the states also had to contend with was relations with states that were considered “border states,” buffers between the Confederacy and the United States. The government had to figure a way to cautiously work with these states. In Indiana and Ohio, they were directly involved with working with the state of Kentucky. Through the dispatches between Dennison and Morton, it can be seen that they were trying to figure out ways to work with the border states.Item The Role of the States: Morton's Obligation to the Nation or State(2011-09-29) Coy, TommyFrom the end of July 1861 thru September 1861 Governor Oliver P. Morton had a plethora of issues on his mind. But the biggest thing on his mind was making sure he was getting his state on a war footing. However, Governor Morton had a major disadvantage that man eastern states did not have. Much of the war was being fought in the Eastern part of the United States (Virginia mainly) and the states provided troops mainly for that theater. Indiana was expected to provide troops not only in the east, but also in the West. Three different Generals (Rosecrans, McClellan, and Fremont) were asking for troops immediately and the Secretary of War was also directing troops here and there. So, therefore, the question comes up: What is the priority of Governor Morton, his state or his country?