Explore Wisconsin


History of Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a state in the UnitedBy the 1840s, the easily accessible
States, and is located in the Greatdeposits were worked out, and
Lakes region. The capital of the stateexperienced miners were drawn to the
is Madison, and its current governor isCalifornia Gold Rush. This period of
Jim Doyle.mining before and during the early years
Wisconsin, bordered by the states ofof statehood directly led to the
Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois,development of state's nickname, the
as well as Lakes Michigan and Superior,"Badger State". Many miners and their
has been part of United States territoryfamilies lived in the mines in which
since the end of the Americanthey worked until adequate above-ground
Revolution; the Wisconsin Territoryshelters were built and were thus
(which included parts of other currentcompared to badgers.
states) was formed on July 3, 1836.In the 1830-60 period, large numbers of
Wisconsin ratified its constitutionYankees from New England and New York
March 13, 1848 and was admitted to theflocked to Wisconsin. The New Yorkers
Union on May 29, 1848 as the thirtiethwere influential in bringing dairy
state.farming to the state. As New York was
Wisconsin's economy was originally basedthe leading dairy state at the time,
on farming (especially dairy), mining,migrants from there brought with them
and lumbering. In the 20th centurythe skills needed for dairy farming, as
tourism became important, and manywell as butter and cheese production.
people living on former farms commutedOther Yankees settled in towns or cities
to jobs elsewhere. Large-scalewhere they set up businesses, factories,
industrialization began in the late 19thmills, banks, schools, libraries,
century in the southeast of the state,colleges, and voluntary societies. They
with the city of Milwaukee as its majorcreated many Congregational,
center. In recent decades, servicePresbyterian and Methodist churches that
industries, especially medicine andstill exist. The Yankees created the
education, have become dominant.Republican party in 1854—the first
Wisconsin's landscape, largely shaped bylocal meeting in the country came in
the Wisconsin glaciation of the last IceRipon. They gave strong support to the
Age, makes the state popular for bothCivil War effort, as well as to reforms
tourism and many forms of outdoorsuch as abolition, woman suffrage and,
recreation.especially, prohibition.Even larger
Since its founding, Wisconsin has beennumbers of Germans arrived, so that the
ethnically heterogeneous, with Yankeesstate became over one-third German. Most
being among the first to arrive from Newbecame farmers. Others moved to
York and New England. They dominated theMilwaukee and smaller cities setting up
state's heavy industry, finance,breweries and becoming craftsmen,
politics and education. Large numbers ofmachinists and skilled workers who were
European immigrants followed them,in high demand as the state
including Germans, mostly between 1850industrialized. The Germans were split
and 1900, Scandinavians and smalleralong religious lines. Most Germans were
groups of Belgians, Dutch, Swiss, Finns,Catholic or Lutheran, with some
Irish and others; in the twentiethLutherans forming the Wisconsin Synod
century, large numbers of Poles andand others joining the Missouri Synod.
African-Americans came, settling mainlyThe Catholics and Lutherans created
in Milwaukee.their own network of parochial schools,
Today, 42.6% of the population is ofthrough grade 8. Smaller numbers of
German ancestry, making Wisconsin one ofGermans were Methodists, Jews, or
the most German-American states in theanticlerical liberals (especially
United States. Since 1970 the Hmong haveintellectual refugees). Politically they
settled in Wisconsin. Numerous ethnictended toward the Democratic party, but
festivals are held throughout Wisconsin30-40% voted Republican. Whenever the
to celebrate its heritage.Republicans seemed to support
During the period of the Civil War,prohibition, they shifted somewhat
Wisconsin was a Republican and pro-Uniontoward the Democrats. When nativist
stronghold. Ethno-religious issues inRepublicans led by governor William
the late 19th century caused a briefHoard passed the Bennett Law in 1889
split in the Republican coalition.that would shut down German language
Through the first half of the 20thschools, both Catholic and Lutheran,
century, Wisconin's politics werethey revolted and helped elect the
dominated by Robert La Follette and hisDemocrats in 1890. In World War I,
sons, originally of the RepublicanGerman culture came under heavy attack
Party, but later of their ownin Wisconsin. Senator LaFollette became
Progressive Party. Since 1945, the statetheir protector and Germans strongly
has maintained a close balance betweensupported his wing of the Republican
Republicans and Democrats. Republicanparty after that.
Senator Joe McCarthy was a majorScandinavians comprised the third
national figure in the early 1950s.largest ethnic block, with Norwegians,
Recent leading Republicans includeDanes, Swedes, and Finns becoming
former Governor Tommy Thompson andfarmers and lumberjacks in the western
Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.;and northern districts. A large Danish
prominent Democrats include governor Jimsettlement in Racine gave the only large
Doyle, Senators Herb Kohl and Russurban presence. The great majority were
Feingold, and Congressman Dave Obey.Lutheran, of various synods. The
In 1634, Frenchman Jean Nicolet becameScandinavians supported prohibition and
Wisconsin's first European explorer,voted Republican; in the early 20th
landing at Red Banks, near modern-daycentury they were the backbone of the
Green Bay in search of a passage to theLaFollette movement. Irish Catholics
Orient. The French controlled the areacame to Milwaukee and Madison and
until it was ceded to the British insmaller cities as railroad workers. They
1763.quickly became prominent in local
Wisconsin was part of the original U.S.government and in the Democratic party.
Northwest Territory from 1788 to 1800.They wrestled with the German Catholics
It was then governed as part of Indianafor control of the Catholic church in
Territory (1800-1809), Illinoisthe state.
Territory (1809-1818), and MichiganName
Territory (1818-1836). Settlement began"Wisconsin" is thought to be an English
when the first two public land officesversion of a French adaptation of an
opened in 1834. Wisconsin Territory wasIndian word. It may come from the Ojibwe
organized on July 3, 1836, and it becameword Miskwasiniing, meaning "Red-stone
the 30th state on May 29, 1848.place," which was probably the name
The state mineral is galena, otherwisegiven to the Wisconsin River, and was
known as lead sulfide, which reflectsrecorded as Ouisconsin by the French and
Wisconsin's early mining history. Manychanged to its current form by the
town names such as Mineral Point recallEnglish. The modern Ojibwe name,
a period in the 1820s, 1830s, and 1840s,however, is Wiishkoonsing or
when Wisconsin was an important miningWazhashkoonsing, meaning "muskrat-lodge
state. When Indian treaties opened upplace" or "little muskrat place." Other
southwest Wisconsin to settlement,theories are that the name comes from
thousands of miners — many of themwords meaning "Gathering of the Waters"
immigrants from Cornwall, England —or "Great Rock." Wisconsin originally
flocked to the "lead rush" inwas applied to the Wisconsin River, and
southeastern areas. Wisconsin producedlater to the area as a whole when
more than half of the nation's lead;Wisconsin became a territory.
Belmont was briefly the state capital.



1 A B C D 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97