George Rogers Clark National Historical Park
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George Rogers Clark National Historical Park
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The George Rogers Clark Memorial
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| Location | 2nd St, S of U.S. 50, Vincennes, Indiana, United States |
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| Coordinates | 38°40′45.1″N 87°32′8.14″W / 38.679194°N 87.5355944°WCoordinates: 38°40′45.1″N 87°32′8.14″W / 38.679194°N 87.5355944°W |
| Area | 24.3 acres (9.8 ha) |
| Built | 1931 |
| Visitation | 145,596 (2011) |
| Website | George Rogers Clark National Historical Park |
| NRHP Reference # | 66000007 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHP | July 23, 1966 |
George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, located in Vincennes, Indiana, on the banks of the Wabash River at what is believed to be the site of Fort Sackville, is a United States National Historical Park. President Calvin Coolidge authorized a classical memorial and President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the completed structure in 1936.
On February 25, 1779, Lieutenant Colonel George Rogers Clark, older brother of William Clark, lead the capture of Fort Sackville and British Lt. Governor Henry Hamilton as part of the celebrated Illinois Campaign, which lasted from 1778 to 1779. The heroic march of Clark's men from Kaskaskia on the Mississippi River in mid-winter and the subsequent victory over the British remains one of the most memorable feats of the American Revolution.
In 1966, Indiana transferred the site to the National Park Service. Adjacent to the memorial is a visitor center which presents interpretive programs and displays. The center is situated on South 2nd Street in Vincennes. The site is located in the Vincennes Historic District.
The memorial is placed at the believed site of Fort Sackville; no archeological evidence has shown the exact location, but it is undoubtedly within the park's boundaries. The episode being commemorated marked the finest moment in General George Rogers Clark's life. He was sent by the state of Virginia to protect its interest in the Old Northwest. His 1778-1779 campaign included the founding of Louisville, Kentucky and the capture of British forts in the lower Ohio and Mississippi valleys. Forces under Clark's command had captured Fort Sackville months before, but when notified that British forces under Henry Hamilton had retaken the fort, Clark led a desperate march to retake the fort again for the American cause, succeeding on February 25, 1779. This led to the newly formed United States claiming control of what would become the states of Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin in the 1783 Treaty of Paris.
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