George Rogers Clark National Historical Park

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

In February of 1779, George Rogers Clark and a group of American soldiers captured Fort Sackville in Vincennes, Indiana from the British. The impressive Revolutionary war victory was a source of pride for the citizens of Vincennes, who urged the city and the federal government to memorialize the occasion. In 1928, President Coolidge established a commission to construct the memorial, with its completion in 1933. Still standing today, The George Rogers Clark National Historical Park is a constant reminder of the pivotal history present in Indiana.

Images

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

Although far from the thick of the action, Indiana experienced battles and conflicts catalyzed by the Revolutionary War. Located on the Wabash River in Vincennes, Fort Sackville was a timber fort with the purpose of protecting the lands ceded by the French to the British. American Lieutenant Colonel George Rogers Clark laid siege to the fort in February of 1779, successfully capturing it from the British with limited loss of lives. Nearly 150 years after the American Revolution, a surge of nationalism and pride occurred in the citizens of Vincennes. These citizens wished to commemorate the momentous victory of Clark. President Coolidge then established the Indiana George Rogers Clark Sesquicentennial Commission in May of 1928 with the focus of paying tribute to the achievements of Clark and the battle at Fort Sackville.

The Clark Memorial is an immense, circular structure composed mainly of granite. Inscriptions line the outside of the monument with dates of the battle, birth, and death of Clark, as well as the commemoration of the memorial. Additionally, beautiful murals depicting the history of Indiana and the surrounding areas grace the rotunda’s walls. The historic virtues extolled by Rogers and his men left a lasting mark on Vincennes and the country leading to Congress’ declaration of the memorial as National Park in 1966.

Sources

Battle of Vincennes Facts & Summary. (2020, February 21). Retrieved September 24, 2020, from https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/vincennes

Bearss, E. C. (2000). George Rogers Clark Memorial: Historic Structures Report, Historical Data. Vincennes, IN: Vincennes Historical and Antiquarian Society. Retrieved 2001, from https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/gero/chap2.htm

N. (2015). George Rogers Clark Memorial. Retrieved September 24, 2020, from https://www.nps.gov/gero/learn/historyculture/memorial.htm