Indiana Joins the Union: The Birth of the 19th State
CHARACTERS:
- Narrator: Explains the historical background.
- William: A young pioneer living in Indiana Territory in 1816.
- Abigail: A pioneer girl who tracks the news of statehood.
- Delegate Jennings: Jonathan Jennings, president of the Indiana Constitutional Convention.
[Setting: Corydon, Indiana, in the year 1816.]
Narrator: In June of 1816, forty-three delegates gathered in the town of Corydon. They met to write a constitution so the Indiana Territory could become a full state in the United States.
William: It is sweltering inside the Corydon Capitol building! How can anyone write important laws in this summer heat?
Delegate Jennings: Follow me outside, everyone! We will work in the cool shade of this giant elm tree.
Abigail: That massive tree became famous as the Constitutional Elm. Beneath its wide green branches, leaders drafted the foundational laws for our new government.
Narrator: For several weeks, the delegates debated essential issues. They discussed public education, voting rules, and how to structure state courts.
Delegate Jennings: [Points to the parchment document] We must ensure that our state constitution strictly prohibits human slavery. Indiana will enter the Union as a free state!
William: By late June, the document was complete, but Indiana was not officially a state yet.
Abigail: That is right! The United States Congress and President James Madison still had to approve Indiana's request.
Narrator: Months passed as messages traveled slowly by horseback. Autumn came and went, and winter arrived in the territory.
William: [Wrapping a scarf around his neck] It is December 11, 1816. Has any word come from Washington, D.C.?
Delegate Jennings: [Holding up a sealed letter] A rider just arrived! President James Madison signed the formal resolution today!
Abigail: [Cheering] That means Indiana is officially the nineteenth state in the United States!
Narrator: Settlers across the region celebrated the news. The people living on the frontier were now full citizens with a voice in the nation.
William: We are no longer just a territory. We are a proud state with our own constitution and leaders.
Delegate Jennings: From the rolling hills of Corydon to the rich farmland of the north, Indiana has a bright future ahead.
Abigail: December 11 will always be remembered as Indiana Statehood Day!
Narrator: Today, Indiana is known as the Crossroads of America, and its story as a state began right under that shaded elm tree in 1816.
- delegates:
- People who are chosen to represent and make decisions for a group.
- constitution:
- A written set of official laws and rules used to govern a state or country.
- prohibits:
- Forbids or bans an action by law or rule.
- resolution:
- An official decision or law passed by a government body.
- frontier:
- A region or territory on the outer edge of settled land.
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About this reader's theater passage for Upper Elementary
“Indiana Joins the Union: The Birth of the 19th State” is a reader's theater reading passage about Indiana Statehood of 1816, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (397 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.