Indiana Territory
Indiana Territory was an organized incorporated territory that was created by an Act of Congress and signed into law on May 7, 1800, by John Adams who was then the President of the United States. The territory existed from 1800 to 1816 and included parts of the present-day states of Illinois, Wisconsin, a major part of Indiana, Michigan, and the eastern portion of Minnesota. The territory officially became a part of the Union as the State of Indiana on December 11, 1816.
Becoming A US Territory
Map of the United States with territorial divisions fro 1805 to 1809.
The Northwest Territory was an organized unincorporated territory that was created by the Confederation Congress via the Northwest Ordinance in 1787. The vast Northwest Territory included major parts of the land area that was located to the east of the Mississippi River and the north of the Ohio River. On May 7, 1800, the US Congress decided to split the Northwest Territory into two parts. The larger portion was known as the “Indiana Territory” and the smaller portion was known as the “Northwest Territory.”