A235, History of American Empire

Today our mission is to find American empire in the state of Indiana, where we happen to be.  This raises the question of how empire is representable, since much of it is quite hidden and not locateable in a state.  One starting point is the evolution of military presence in Indiana, starting with the forts — such as Fort Wayne — that were built after the War of American Independence to facilitate attacks on Native Americans especially in the 1810s in Indiana, enabling Indiana to become a state.  Today’s task will be a kind of treasure hunt:  searching for military installations in Indiana.  Finally, we will consider non-military institutions in Indiana that have been vital to American empire.

In each case, provide your online source, and explain why you determined that it was a reliable source.

1.  What are the three main military installations currently operating in Indiana?  What do they do?

2.  What Indiana military installation produced “heavy water” for the Manhattan Project (i.e., for nuclear warfare), and later produced “nerve gas” for chemical warfare?

3.  What Indiana military installation prompted President Harry Truman to end racial segregation in the U.S. military?  Why?  What happened there?

4.  What Indiana military installation produced hundreds of thousands of military uniform shirts in World War I?

5.  What Indiana military installation trained military personnel to become professional journalists during and after the Vietnam War?

6.  What Indiana military installation trained soldiers for the Spanish-American War?

7.  What Indiana military installation became the site of a high school?  What function did the installation serve after the Civil War?

8.  What Indiana military installation housed Afghan evacuees in 2021?  Where did they end up?

9.  What non-military places contributed in major ways to the American empire in Indiana?