By Sister Mary Certrude Schuckman, S.P. a Thesis Submitted to The
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THE PLACE OIl CATHOLIC CULTURE IN THE Dl!."Vhl..OPMENT 0)' EAkLY INDIANA By Sister Mary Certrude Schuckman, S.P. A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School, Marquette University in Partial Fulfillment of the Require ments for the Degree of Master of Arts Milwaukee, Wisconsin January, 1952 PREFACE Recogaition of tbe lelislative assistance afforded territorial Indi ana and continued throup the inceptive phase of atatehood to the JIliddle of the nineteenth century is meticulously recorded in textbooks, mono graphs, and ltate reports. Occasional Mention or secondary acknowledg ment of the vitalizing influence of the Catholic Church durin« this peri od of development is unbiasedly proffered by some authors, but a minute survey of her beneficent service is not recorded. The purpose of the present study is to a.certain by _ana of c_par ison the mea lure of influence exerted by Catholic and civic groups in the acquisition of the dearee of culture embodied in educational facilities, literary endeavors, and benevolent organizations. The period chosen gives aaple evidence of tae Iradual intelration of old world and colonial American culture which ..de Indiana one of the first centers of civilization in the middlewest. The writer is sincerely grateful to Reverend Mother Marie Helene, Superior General of the Sister. of Providence, who bas permitted this in vestigation and shown a personal interest in its coapilation. She wishes also to thank Reverend Raphael N. Hamilton, S.J., for his direction and critical asaiatance, and Doctors Herbert W. Rice and Frank L. Kle.ent for their e.uraination of the manuscript. .she is also indebted to James J. Creen, aasiatant archivist of the University of Notre Dame, for bia cour teous belp in making AVAilable various collections of IIW1Uscripts; to the staffs of Indiana State Library, tbe Vincennes Public Library, and the Carnegie Public Library, washin&ton, Indiana; to Sister Camilla, librari an 01 St. Mary-of-the-woods Colleie; to I~everend Placidua Kempf, O.S.B., librarian of St. Meinrad Abbey; to die Very Reverend Monsignor Paul A. Deery who ,ranted access to the Old Cathedral library of Vincennes; to Doctor Leo ~. Dowling of Indiana University, to Sister Mary Alvire, S.P., and to Mrs. ~illiam E. Hinnette for help in obtaining materials. Table of Contents Preface ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 2 Introduction •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 5 Chapter I Cultural Pro&resa in Territorial Indiana, 1800-1815 ••••••••••••• 7 Cbapter II Cultural Pro&ress in tbe State of Indiana, 1816-1840 ••••••••••• 37 Chapter III Cultural Progress in the State of Indiana, 1841-1855 ••••••••••• 65 Bibliography ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 85 The purpose of this study is, therefore, to make a comparison of the lHthods used by ('.atholie, ~rotestant .. and civil croups fr_ 1800 to 1855 and to show what these different croups aeeOlilplished in a cultural way. The term culture as used in these pages is synonymous with civilisation.. or the degrees of intellectual refinement acquired from the influence of religion and the study of the arts, sciences .. and ,overnment. I 8 repl.,. nUl plotveaq••• tnet., borde.. ed wI* ~......... be .wel1- iJa&a, ..... Hlfried ch.... tow... 1a tbe .'.hr. I. nett ..........u..... lei..... 11 alMl plealure-lori.. pI.pl. u,.. tOf' dle ellJo)'llUt of lit. 1 rather tIwl the acquiaiUoa of wealth or lucla. 1a c.tra.e, a aod'l'Il 'ioarapael' 01 Wil1iaa K_.., teama. dtaclairaa a ViDC ..... that was a brial:at torch of culare blauna ia the wild........ II_ adtItu that .1 tbe capital cit)' .1 the INlckwcHl. it •••f hiltorica1 ueS .t.... t.e&lc iapol"tUCe, a "CiOll of areat AlBertcaa po•• ltd.1i" •• , ,.t, ita 1., h.ua•• aDd rutted .treet. coa.tlta,e. a raaabaokle towa ,..•••• - I", neither worth HI' 4ipity........... few of 1,. tudlle. Che ..1 va. ret.d.M4i, be ..,.., a ...a.laace of the * ....... rat1...,... * ,an.... • t ....,... cal",", IMt ..........., ladae•• aM th. 'arlel.. t habit•• , 4 til_ ..tift ......, •• character.'" the _jorit, of the iahabitaau. c..... tn._,...,. to thia decad.... va. taut "..'9&1... of ia'.... mac •• , the whltea aIld 1841a... Buept lor tboae 'w wblte... bad 01-. to the c.a- t_ and laDpa,' .t tbell' , ....,.tIle .... , the 101'Ml' CNltunl 1atl.eAft of the IT... had bee_ but a ......Uo 'ftditiOll, u.d •• territorial la- S habitants 01 1800 , ......, .... 'fWltable faca1al1• • t the ....... 'ather n.ae' ud toud lb. erraUc aM iapnYlcl•• , .. 1a 1792 1M had H,. Id. alailt..,. .... tIIa. v.tauate41 II)' thei.. appa.... ' iadift....... ...., 11e kbored fer ...... oae-balt ,_.. 8 to laproft tlleir ...1&1 •• well .a UleJ.r lp1ritual cead1U.. la that --daal, aUrt tiM he .... • ault1'''' the lira' territorial Hhool., ....." .... aaricaltwe aa4 J Cau..... , ... "IMn It sa CCiSl If !,.,.,.. 4.1. (11.... .. J_a, Yll'iW., A..... 1Nl~ta., fF.'" .., !!ani"'. Me "'" .. """ 5 »orodlr· l • c.._1, WIllJ.e!!tJa lard,",. ! 'tlitlllllfitlrMU. (~1., 1.20), II, 9 6 p~tecl • aimple tON ot manufacturing. Seareely had hi. phn. take. aha,. when he was recalled to 8altiDaore, but i' 1. to bi. ,lory an4 that of the Catbollc church that the L1I1ted Stat•• ,overDment r"oauzed the worth of hie experiment. It was President \;iaai1baton who, d•• irou8 of tartnertng the polic7 ot the Christian civilisatioR of the Indian and collisant of the lafluenoe exerted ~y Catholic priests on the frontier, 7 roque.ted ••other pr1eat to "pl.. him. 'Ib.a it waa that the intrepid Jo•• PraIl.t. MYe., .,... with a 8mtad State. cOMi.uoa as •••• 10...,. 8 to the btU.... ,· CODtimMd the Itd.tial work .f naaet. Deftted priaril" to tile Il1teHn. of tb. lad.iaa, IiYet attempted to 81 ..at. their 11nq to a d...... COOltlMll'l .....t. with the c1riliution of til. tr_tier whit... Tovard thi' ad he rniftd rell,ioul , ..a.tic •• , .ata"" 111b.. achool., and provided eYer)' pe•• lltl.e .... to ovvcoae the a'el"1al 9 baDcU.•• ,. att.... ' .. their ...,... r1tlled coadltl... 1.0I'cla fit 1\1.. ._.. co...... DOt e:dUlt. hence, tbe ....ult. of bis Itrivin,. are a ..tter .f ceajeetun. A tl"&ftler of ae day baa lett UI a &1111, •• • t his culttared p .....onaUty and d•• crU ••• hla a ......a poll."', IM1'1l8d, .,ell-w.d. ,enU... 10 an, ...,. kill4 aa4 toleraat toward al1.8 that characteristic wid_ Juul ••pec1allr !mpre•• ed b1a wa. the aelf-sacritlclna ettort• • t the prie.t 11 tor the adYallc.... t aIld edueAtl. ef hia flock. &1rel, such. cOllll8ll4atia , "..... J. Ale"".. , " Biard' W Ct!bollc C!!!£t! " •• DiM.' ,t YW!9MI, (lIMUau.poU.,lii1, • 7 HeJ'llall J. Alerd1na, lb- US" 21 'm WUM. (rGl"t IN,..., lto7), 16. • ...... K. Sal... .ta w .., ... be. ~ ...., (at. Me1ancl, laUau. ItA), 168. 9 DAl., 171 .. 10 C. YolMr, '.~!'5t .~ ~ ... I!!!~'. ('&1'1., 1103), •• p., cited Ii 4!!ifi!tile .,8t. He1ara~d1.... , 19l1), 111. II !W.. 10 fr. & ......e&Chollc 18 bi.P pru•• i_Mel. JllcAny, however, atwihlte. bat aMll ....... to ta. prie.t'. labor•• 1. that tr..... 1U.oaal periK whea .." ...ricall "w. beau to doeju'e the .....opeaa WI_e., illv.t'. i'reach w ..eli ... \HU wel"e .... Miataiaa, 01It of ,lace &a4 e ...lped to a_aUty. Ue ••teDd. taat tile .iP' ud ODe half year .paa of ai.e". ai•• loaary activit, repr•• enta i • ..aller acope tile whole .'01'7 of the I"elaU•• _weeD earU.e.. 'iac.... aad later ladi..... 11ft' vita•• NG the c.iwI&. of YiM... e. fro. na 4ec:lla1e& 'nnoll vill.. e to la an Aaerioaa tr_tier '.w. It S1.e ta. pncl...... r. of "".1'. nat.t ... 11.. , daD "ok. 'e the 1ato .eftatellatA •••mr, .. lt i. a tact tilat 'tM 'erritft'1 .f lacli.na iaact Ib.&nd. ca. Mufih of &;.alhoUc ould.ftUoa fer ...... ,...ft... ,. ih f.,..tlO8. II th. Catholic oIuu'ca atW... &Mat partial ........, 1t baG at 1eut .i.aa.\I&lIrate4 tbe .ethocl. ",.. wa.t.c.b vi.. lepalaU.•• o11l4 _11el an eaclur1aa& '"..... liv ..... OB July.... 1800, WiaM T.rri tfl7, 1ac11l4.lB& tile ...._. .tate' ., la41a.u, UU.o1., Wi ..ou1a, UtI JUg... ta .....tt1ciall,. Ut. beilt&. finc... e, v&' 1t' cI.,1.pate4 oapital, .... b,. 0 ....,. .t ......1 __ Jolua .wau, Willi.. H• ...., Harri•• ita ........... .......1._,. ,...,.., ........ 'iratatu, a ••.,t04 the peaitloa with tall naliuUoa .t .. iap.cU... harOIaip'. Lif. OIl ... froaUer pe.', in all ita .,,..,, .a t..u1i.,. to hla. A, a J'OUth .f ei&a\eea .e laael "_ Jl'UtM a ..-1.&1_ •• Baaip ia the 'ir., Uld.teel Statea .eahMmt by a..ral Waafdllltea aad .tati0ae4 at Port Waab.iaa- toll. 1M following year h.......... Ai..... "'O" to 0eJtaI'al AntaGIJT Wa1M, u4 later a. l.1fttewmt t ....' at the batCl. 01 'allen !1IIbera. Ill' ..nic. 12 'Ih... T. McAvoy, the Ca!9t'&c Church 1! IJ4ltM, (New York, 1940), 101. 11 1n a c1:vic capacity begaD in 1799 when be vaa elected to tODlres. by the firat terri tor1al assembly. l)auon acknowled,e. Ooveraor Harrison t. pre requisite. by the statement: "He knew both the cQuntry opened by Wayne 'a 1l victory and the point of view of lir,inia ADd Kentucky frontiersmen." His as.iped post held little that was attractive. Vincennes vas not only almost inaccesaible, but by va, of reputation most despicable. ~Iar., can say Doth1n& ,Md of the Vincennes of 1800. labelin& it ollly vi th the 14 notoriety of it. drunken brawls and Indian fi&bt.. Yet, despite the ap- parent deieaerac" the or,anisation ot thia land into a territory had ac celerated ita population, wealth, ADd ,eneral proareaa. According; to Cauthorn, VlneelUle. 111 1800 "oatH a center that attracted the Itcream of the en.r,.Ue, aapirin&, &ad. eul.tivated 1M. fr. all the older states of 11 the Union." It was ..n of such caliber who early took advantage of the democratic prerolativea &ranted tiuul ia til.