[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 635 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

<DOC>






114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 635

Recognizing and commemorating the bicentennial of the State of Indiana.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

            December 10 (legislative day, December 9), 2016

   Mr. Coats (for himself and Mr. Donnelly) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Recognizing and commemorating the bicentennial of the State of Indiana.

Whereas December 11, 2016, marks the 200th year of the statehood of the State of 
        Indiana, and in honor of the momentous occasion, Hoosiers across the 
        State of Indiana will celebrate the historic past and the prosperous 
        future of the State of Indiana;
Whereas, on December 11, 1816, President James Madison signed the Joint 
        Resolution entitled ``Resolution for admitting the state of Indiana into 
        the Union'', approved December 11, 1816 (3 Stat. 399), which admitted 
        the State of Indiana as the 19th State of the United States and required 
        that the leaders of the State of Indiana draft a State constitution;
Whereas Jonathan Jennings, who spearheaded the effort in Congress to secure 
        Indiana statehood, together with 43 of his peers, drafted the first 
        Indiana State Constitution beneath the shade of a giant elm tree in the 
        city of Corydon, Indiana, during the summer of 1816;
Whereas in recognition of his role in Congress and as president of the 
        constitutional convention of the State of Indiana, Jonathan Jennings was 
        appointed the first Governor of the State of Indiana, the giant elm tree 
        was later dubbed the Constitution Elm, and Corydon, Indiana, served as 
        the first capital of the State of Indiana;
Whereas, in October 1824, a coalition of State officials commenced an 11-day 
        trek to move the capital of the State of Indiana 130 miles north from 
        Corydon to Indianapolis;
Whereas, in 1850, a second constitutional convention of the State of Indiana 
        convened with the purpose of establishing more frequent elections, 
        imposing restrictions on State debt, and creating biannual legislative 
        sessions for the Indiana General Assembly, and as of November 2016, the 
        Indiana State Constitution of 1850, as amended, still governs the State 
        of Indiana;
Whereas, in 1888, Benjamin Harrison was the first and only Hoosier to be elected 
        President;
Whereas, since 1869, 5 Hoosiers have served the United States as Vice President, 
        and in 2016, the sixth Hoosier to serve as Vice President was elected;
Whereas in celebration of the centennial of the State of Indiana, a design 
        competition for the State flag was held, and the design by Paul Hadley 
        was chosen for its stoic symbolism, including--

    (1) the torch that stands for liberty and enlightenment;

    (2) the rays that signify that knowledge and freedom are available for 
all Hoosiers;

    (3) the 18 small stars that correspond to the States in the Union 
before the State of Indiana; and

    (4) the 19th and largest star that represents the State of Indiana;

Whereas, the Indiana General Assembly adopted the flag designed by Paul Hadley 
        as the flag of the State of Indiana in 1917;
Whereas, in 1937, by the direction of a resolution of the Indiana General 
        Assembly, ``the Crossroads of America'' became the official motto of the 
        State of Indiana because the city of Indianapolis serves as an 
        intersection of several major interstate highways that link--

    (1) Hoosiers throughout the State of Indiana; and

    (2) individuals across the United States;

Whereas the seal of the State of Indiana--

    (1) was approved by the Indiana General Assembly in 1963 and originated 
from a lineage of designs dating back to the period during which Indiana 
was a territory of the United States;

    (2) illustrates a scene from the pioneer era of--

    G    (A) a woodsman cutting into 1 of 2 sycamore trees;

    G    (B) a buffalo in the foreground jumping over a log; and

    G    (C) the sun beginning to set behind 3 hills in the background;

Whereas residents of the State of Indiana embrace the nickname for the State of 
        Indiana, ``the Hoosier State'', pride for the term ``Hoosier'' is deeply 
        rooted in the history of the State of Indiana, and Hoosiers bear the 
        nickname proudly;
Whereas May 29, 2016, marked the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, which is 
        a great source of pride to all residents of the State of Indiana because 
        of its influential role in shaping and defining the city of Indianapolis 
        and the State of Indiana;
Whereas the Indiana Bicentennial Commission was established in December of 2011 
        with the objective of honoring the 200 years of history of the State of 
        Indiana;
Whereas the Indiana Bicentennial Commission has 4 key pillars, which are--

    (1) historical celebration;

    (2) youth and education;

    (3) nature conservation; and

    (4) community involvement;

Whereas, to achieve its 4 main directives, the Indiana Bicentennial Commission 
        has several major projects, including--

    (1) a Bicentennial Nature Trust that allocates $30,000,000 in matching 
funds to acquire land statewide for the purposes of recreation and 
conservation;

    (2) the construction of a Statehouse Education Center in the Indiana 
State Library;

    (3) the building of a Bicentennial Plaza on the west side of the 
Statehouse that features art and improves public access to the surrounding 
governmental buildings; and

    (4) the construction of a new facility to house the Indiana State 
Archives to provide increased access to the most important documents of the 
State of Indiana;

Whereas, on September 9, 2016, a torch relay began in Corydon, Indiana, and 
        ended at the Statehouse on October 15, 2016, during which the torch 
        traveled through all 92 counties of the State of Indiana in--

    (1) an effort to fortify the communal connection of all Hoosiers; and

    (2) a symbolic culmination of the series of celebratory and educational 
bicentennial events, concluding on Statehood Day on December 11, 2016; and

Whereas it is fitting that the bicentennial of the State of Indiana and the 
        corresponding 200 years of rich history are celebrated: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the Senate recognizes and commemorates the 
bicentennial of the State of Indiana.
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