Vincennes, Indiana - History

History

The vicinity of Vincennes was inhabited for thousands of years by different cultures of indigenous peoples. During the Late Woodland period, some of these peoples used local loess hills as burial sites; some of the more prominent examples are the Sugar Loaf Mound and the Pyramid Mound. In historic times, prominent local native groups were the Shawnee, Wabash, and the Miami tribe.

The first European settlers were Canadians, when Vincennes was founded as part of the French colony of Louisiana. After the French and Indian War (part of the Seven Years War), in defeat France ceded territory east of the Mississippi River to England. The area was under British rule associated with the colony of Canada until after the American Revolution. It then became part of the Illinois Country of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia. Next part of Knox County in the Northwest Territory, it was later included in the Indiana Territory. Vincennes served as capital of the Indiana Territory from 1800 until 1813, when the government was moved to Corydon.

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