Hoosiers: A New History of Indiana

by James H. Madison, Joanne E. Passet, Thomas D. Hamm, Lee H. Hamilton

Overview

Who are the people called Hoosiers? What are their stories? Two centuries ago, on the Indiana frontier, they were settlers who created a way of life they passed to later generations. They came to value individual freedom and distrusted government, even as they demanded that government remove Indians, sell them land, and bring democracy. Down to the present, Hoosiers have remained wary of government power and have taken care to guard their tax dollars and their personal independence. Yet the people of Indiana have always accommodated change, exchanging log cabins and spinning wheels for railroads, cities, and factories in the 19th century, automobiles, suburbs, and foreign investment in the 20th. The present has brought new issues and challenges, as Indiana's citizens respond to a rapidly changing world. James H. Madison's sparkling new history tells the stories of these Hoosiers, offering an invigorating view of one of America's distinctive states and the long and fascinating journey of its people.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780253023445
Publisher:	Indiana University Press
Publication date:	02/01/2016
Pages:	424
Sales rank:	449,402
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

James H. Madison is the Thomas and Kathryn Miller Professor of History Emeritus, Indiana University Bloomington. His books include Eli Lilly: A Life, 1885-1977; Slinging Doughnuts for the Boys: An American Woman in World War II (IUP); The Indiana Way: A State History (IUP); and A Lynching in the Heartland: Race and Memory in America. Madison serves on the boards of Indiana Humanities and the Indiana Historical Society and is a member of the Indiana Bicentennial Commission. He began teaching Indiana history in 1976 and has lectured and consulted widely on Indiana topics.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Hoosiers
1. Place and People before the Americans
2. The American Nation and the West, 1776-1800
3. From a Territory to a State, 1800-1816
4. On the Indiana Frontier
5. The Evolving Pioneer Economy
6. Pioneers and a Better Life
7. Pioneer Government and Politics
8. The Civil War Comes to Indiana
9. New Ways to Make a Living, 1850-1920
10. A Hoosier Community, 1850-1920
11. The Indiana Way of Politics, 1873-1920
12. Flappers and Klansmen Challenge Traditions: The 1920s
13. Depression and War Test Hoosiers, 1929-1945
14. Hoosier Traditions and the Winds of Change
15. Government, Politics, and the People
16. Some Thoughts on Twenty-First-Century Hoosiers
Further Reading
Index

What People are Saying About This

Keira Amstutz

James H. Madison's brilliant new history of Indiana embodies the best of history writing. It's comprehensive not exhaustive, honest not harsh, complex but understandable, challenging but uplifting. Perfectly timed on the eve of our bicentennial, Hoosiers paints a complex portrait of the distinctive Hoosier character and the ongoing tug of war between tradition and change that has shaped the evolution of the state.

Thomas Hamm]]>

Jim Madison, without question the most careful and objective historian the state of Indiana has ever had, has produced what will be for this generation the definitive history of the Hoosier state.

Randall T. Shepard

We are all of us fortunate that James Madison, the greatest Indiana historian of our era, has continued to research the people and events of the Indiana story and share his powerful insights about them. His latest work provides both a fresh appraisal of our past and an evaluation of our recent direction. This valuable new look at Indiana is a great gift that stands superbly alongside The Indiana Way, his seminal work of a quarter-century ago. We all owe a debt to Professor Madison for enriching the conversation about where Indiana has been and where we need to go.

Lee H. Hamilton

Every Hoosier should want to read James H. Madison's Hoosiers: A New History of Indiana. They will learn about their history, for sure, but much more—about their traditions, culture, beliefs, the land itself, their attitude toward government and freedom, their global connections, their heroes and villains, what they should celebrate—even their shortcomings—and the ongoing changes in the Hoosier way of life. Indiana's past, present, and future all come together for the Hoosier reader in this remarkable and easily readable volume.

James B. Lane]]>

A towering achievement. Madison has produced a fresh, stimulating, user friendly, and definitive new history. He captures the economic, political, social, and cultural diversity of Indiana and presents a richly illustrated and documented history that makes room for ordinary people, outsiders, and dissenters.

Joanne E. Passet

In Hoosiers: A New History of Indiana, James H. Madison offers readers a compelling, well-researched, and highly readable narrative of Indiana and its people from the ice age to the twenty-first century. A distinguished scholar, he paints a vivid portrait of Hoosier achievements and controversies, and provides a nuanced understanding of the historical roots of Hoosier responses to current-day cultural, economic, political, and social issues. A must-read for all students of Indiana history, this much-needed book brings the state's history to life for anyone seeking insight into the people who gave definition to the word 'Hoosiers.'

Randall T. Shepard]]>

We are all of us fortunate that James Madison, the greatest Indiana historian of our era, has continued to research the people and events of the Indiana story and share his powerful insights about them. His latest work provides both a fresh appraisal of our past and an evaluation of our recent direction. This valuable new look at Indiana is a great gift that stands superbly alongside The Indiana Way, his seminal work of a quarter-century ago. We all owe a debt to Professor Madison for enriching the conversation about where Indiana has been and where we need to go.

Thomas Hamm

Jim Madison, without question the most careful and objective historian the state of Indiana has ever had, has produced what will be for this generation the definitive history of the Hoosier state.

Alexander M. Bracken Professor of History, Ball State University - Nicole Etcheson

Comprehensive and engagingly written, Hoosiers is the best one-volume history of the state.

James B. Lane

A towering achievement. Madison has produced a fresh, stimulating, user friendly, and definitive new history. He captures the economic, political, social, and cultural diversity of Indiana and presents a richly illustrated and documented history that makes room for ordinary people, outsiders, and dissenters.

Nicole Etcheson]]>

Comprehensive and engagingly written, Hoosiers is the best one-volume history of the state.

Lee H. Hamilton]]>

Every Hoosier should want to read James H. Madison's Hoosiers: A New History of Indiana. They will learn about their history, for sure, but much more—about their traditions, culture, beliefs, the land itself, their attitude toward government and freedom, their global connections, their heroes and villains, what they should celebrate—even their shortcomings—and the ongoing changes in the Hoosier way of life. Indiana's past, present, and future all come together for the Hoosier reader in this remarkable and easily readable volume.

Keira Amstutz]]>

James H. Madison's brilliant new history of Indiana embodies the best of history writing. It's comprehensive not exhaustive, honest not harsh, complex but understandable, challenging but uplifting. Perfectly timed on the eve of our bicentennial, Hoosiers paints a complex portrait of the distinctive Hoosier character and the ongoing tug of war between tradition and change that has shaped the evolution of the state.

Joanne E. Passet]]>

In Hoosiers: A New History of Indiana, James H. Madison offers readers a compelling, well-researched, and highly readable narrative of Indiana and its people from the ice age to the twenty-first century. A distinguished scholar, he paints a vivid portrait of Hoosier achievements and controversies, and provides a nuanced understanding of the historical roots of Hoosier responses to current-day cultural, economic, political, and social issues. A must-read for all students of Indiana history, this much-needed book brings the state's history to life for anyone seeking insight into the people who gave definition to the word 'Hoosiers.'

Reading Group Guide

Indiana University Press

Editorial Reviews

"[A] broad mosaic of Indiana identity . . . while some pieces might not be pretty, nearly all of them are intriguing in their complexity. And for forebears as with reading, we'll take intriguing over pretty any day."—Indianapolis Monthly

"Hoosiers [is] an engaging, valuable interpretation of one state's history that deserves attention from scholars and the public."—Journal of American History

"Comprehensive and engagingly written, Hoosiers is the best one-volume history of the state."—Nicole Etcheson, Alexander M. Bracken Professor of History, Ball State University

From the Publisher

[A] broad mosaic of Indiana identity . . . while some pieces might not be pretty, nearly all of them are intriguing in their complexity. And for forebears as with reading, we'll take intriguing over pretty any day.

Indianapolis Monthly

Hoosiers [is] an engaging, valuable interpretation of one state's history that deserves attention from scholars and the public.

Journal of American History

This is an entertaining and fast read by James Madison, Indiana's foremost historian . . .

Indianapolis Star

This well-illustrated, clearly written, and suggestive history challenges the reader to delve more deeply into a host of issues lightly discussed and which need further research.

Middle West Review

"Every Hoosier should want to read James H. Madison’s Hoosiers: A New History of Indiana.They will learn about their history, for sure, but much more--about their traditions, culture, beliefs, the land itself, their attitude toward government and freedom, their global connections, their heroes and villains, what they should celebrate--even their shortcomings--and the ongoing changes in the Hoosier way of life. Indiana’s past, present, and future all come together for the Hoosier reader in this remarkable and easily readable volume." —Lee H. Hamilton, former U.S. Representative (Indiana, 1965-1999); Director, the Center on Congress at Indiana University

Lee H. Hamilton

"James H. Madison’s brilliant new history of Indiana embodies the best of history writing.It’s comprehensive not exhaustive, honest not harsh, complex but understandable, challenging but uplifting.Perfectly timed on the eve of our bicentennial, Hoosiers paints a complex portrait of the distinctive Hoosier character and the ongoing tug of war between tradition and change that has shaped the evolution of the state." —Keira Amstutz, President and CEO, Indiana Humanities

Keira Amstutz

"Comprehensive and engagingly written, Hoosiers is the best one-volume history of the state." —Nicole Etcheson, Alexander M. Bracken Professor of History, Ball State University

Nicole Etcheson

"In Hoosiers: A New History of Indiana, James H. Madison offers readers a compelling, well-researched, and highly readable narrative of Indiana and its people from the ice age to the twenty-first century. A distinguished scholar, he paints a vivid portrait of Hoosier achievements and controversies, and provides a nuanced understanding of the historical roots of Hoosier responses to current-day cultural, economic, political, and social issues. A must-read for all students of Indiana history, this much-needed book brings the state’s history to life for anyone seeking insight into the people who gave definition to the word 'Hoosiers.'" —Joanne E. Passet, Professor of History Emerita, Indiana University East

Joanne E. Passet

"A towering achievement. Madison has produced a fresh, stimulating, user friendly, and definitive new history.He captures the economic, political, social, and cultural diversity of Indiana and presents a richly illustrated and document history that makes room for ordinary people, outsiders, and dissenters." —James B. Lane, Emeritus Professor of History, IU Northwest

James B. Lane