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