Indianas Historic Hoosier Hills

In Indiana through Tradition and Change: A History of the Hoosier State and Its People, 1920–1945 (vol. 5, History of Indiana Series), author James H. Madison covers Indiana during the period between World War I and World War II. Madison follows the generally topical organization set by previous volumes in the series, with initial chapters devoted to politics and later chapters to social, economic, and cultural questions. The last chapter provides an overview of the home front during World War II. Each chapter is intended to stand alone, but a fuller understanding of subjects and themes treated in any one chapter will result from a reading of the whole book. The book includes a bibliography, notes, and index.

This book explores the lives and worldviews of Indiana's southern hill-country residents during much of the 19th century. Focusing on local institutions, political, economic, and religious, it gives voice to the plain farmers of the region and reveals the world as they saw it. For them, faith in local institutions reflected a distrust of distant markets and politicians. Localism saw its expression in the Democratic Party's anti-federalist strain, in economic practices such as "safety-first" farming which focused on taking care of the family first, and in non-perfectionist Christianity. Localism was both a means of resisting changes and the basis of a worldview that helped Hoosiers of the hill country negotiate these changes.

Part of the Indiana Historical Society's commemoration of the nineteenth state's bicentennial, Indiana's 200: The People Who Shaped the Hoosier State recognizes the people who made enduring contributions to Indiana in its 200-year history. Written by historians, scholars, biographers, and independent researchers, the biographical essays in this book will enhance the public's knowledge and appreciation of those who made a difference in the lives of Hoosiers, the country, and even the world. Subjects profiled in the book include individuals from all fields of endeavor: law, politics, art, music, entertainment, literature, sports, education, business/industry, religion, science/invention/technology, as well as "the notorious."

"The history of Indiana is rich in minor incidents of real interest and of importance; but not in events exclusively its own. . . . The intention of this book is to include in a single volume an account of various phases of the development of the Commonwealth, whose history must be learned from many sources, not always accessible. Many who have not time for research, and others who have no taste for reading history, may take an interest in the romance of foreign dominion on the Wabash, and in the plain tale of the early settlers. Some may have aroused within them a just pride in their State, in reading of Indiana's valiant part in war, the development or her vast natural resources, and the advanced position which she has taken among the states in provisions for universal education, and the enactment of beneficial laws. The author's lifelong familiarity with the scenes, the characters, the movements, and the events mentioned, insures to the reader a sympathetic treatment of the subject. Fireside recitals by aged pioneers, addresses at old settlers' meetings, local historical society papers, reminiscences of early citizens, State records, scholarly monographs and histories have all gone to the making of these pages.--Excerpt from Preface.