Did you know that Indiana has its very own January 6, 2021 insurrection? Except it happened on May 20th, 1863.
The Republicans of Indiana got tired of dealing with the Democrats of Indiana. So, the Republicans just started making laws without any legislative process, which was unconstitutional. The Democrats amassed hundreds of loyal supporters to take over the legislature, which was also unconstitutional. The Republican governor sent in 12 battle-hardened Union troops to deal with the protest. Somehow these 12 soldiers convinced the Democrats to go home. No shots were fired. No one died. Eventually, the Democrats were allowed back in the building to squabble with the Republicans. Can we learn something from this history?
Novelist, satirist, moustache wearer, and proud resident of Indiana, Mark R. Hunter takes us on a humorous journey of Indiana. Mark’s mission is to make history more memorable with humor — and now I have May 20, 1863 permanently wired into my brain.
Here are a couple of examples of Mark’s work:
You’d think [the government of Indiana] would have learned their lesson from the nationwide Panic of 1819, which led to the country’s very first depression. In their defence, only two Indiana banks got bankrupted by that economic downturn. On the other hand, at the time there were only two Indiana banks. Thank goodness an economic crash would never happen again.
And
[Abraham Lincoln] had bouts of depression, lost an election, was unlucky in love, and almost got into a sword duel. All because he left Indiana, so let that be a lesson to you.
There is at least one chuckle per paragraph. But occasionally, Mark gets serious about Indiana history — or perhaps I just didn’t get his joke.
This is history presented in new light. When I think of the great states of the United States, Indiana does not come to my mind. And yet, reading Mark’s book tells us about Native Americans, Blacks who weren’t quite slaves, the KKK, the burgeoning American auto industry, and the notorious Reno Gang. All in Indiana. A place where many of us think nothing ever happens.
An easy read. A fun read. A learning read. Mark loves his state, its people, and its history. Hoosier Hysterical should be on the bookshelf of every proud citizen of Indiana. Hoosier Hysterical should be a great blueprint for other local historians to make their history interesting.
Published on Medium 2022
