On Wisconsin!

It was on this date, in 1848, that Wisconsin became the 30th state in the Union. Of interest, is that it was the last state whose territory is located fully east of the Mississippi River to enter the Union. In fact, five states which I consider west of the Mississippi (I include Louisiana as being west of the Mississippi River), entered statehood before Wisconsin. Four of the five had their east border along the west bank of the Mississippi. Iowa was the northernmost of these states, and became a state in 1846. Many of us know that the first European to have reached Wisconsin was Jean Nicolet in 1634. From that date forward, the written history of the state can be realized. However, the first inhabitants of the state probably arrived about 10,000 years ago. While agriculture was being established in what we now call the Mid-east (about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago) the early arrivals in Wisconsin, depended upon a hunter-gatherer life style.

Travel route for French explorer Jean Nicolet in 1634

At about the same time, 10,000 years ago, much of the state had just been subjected to its last glacier, what is known as the Wisconsin Glacier. Hence, artifacts and archaeological evidence for this early era comes from what we know as the driftless area of Wisconsin—that area of southwest Wisconsin un-touched by glaciation and which provides that region with the hill and valley landforms unique to that part of the state. Perhaps Manny, the mammoth in the movie “Ice Age” was based on the mastodon found in the Richland County community of Boaz. The skeleton of this Boaz mastodon is located at the Geology Museum on the campus of the University of Wisconsin. Clovis spear points were found with the mastodon, and they we so designed that they could penetrate a foot into mega-fauna, like a mastodon.

Boaz Mastodon at the Geology Museum
Historical marker

The Clovis related group was likely more a nomadic tribe, not unlike many of those populating Europe at the time. Agriculture was in its infancy with its first beginnings in the Mid-east, but within about 1000 years of humans having reached Wisconsin (about 9,000 years ago), and independent of discoveries in and near the fertile crescent, maize was being domesticated in Mexico or parts of Central America. It was the introduction of agriculture that led to the creation of settlement and of civilization.

When it comes to settlement, much of history is written from a western and European perspective. So is the case with Wisconsin, where we have been taught that the state was “discovered” by Jean Nicolet. The French influence in state history is strong with their early camps, posts and missions, particularly in the area of Green Bay, and the trading post at Prairie du Chien. European exploration of Wisconsin was under the French, and in particular Jesuit priests pushing into land not before seen by Europeans. The best known of these early missionaries would be Fr. Allouez and Fr. Marquette. However, the French and Indian war would bring change in flag to the area we call Wisconsin. In 1763, at the conclusion of that war, the Treaty of Paris would turn this area over to British control. It was during the time of British control that Green Bay (1764) and Prairie du Chien (1781) are recognized as first being settled (see WI Bluebook). However, with the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, and the second treaty of Paris in 1783, the territory which comprised Wisconsin would become part of the United States. However, as reported by the Wisconsin Blue Book, “In spite of the treaty of Paris, Wisconsin remained British in all but title until after the War of 1812. In 1815, the American army established control” (State of Wisconsin Blue Book, 2013-2014, p. 678).

Painting of Fr. Marquette

That Blue Book statement seemingly disregards perhaps the most crucial legislative act to affect Wisconsin. It is an act that set forth the basics of land description, and to a large degree ownership, and division to this day—the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. The northwest ordinance was comprised not only of what we now know as Wisconsin, but also, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and the northeast portion of what we know as Minnesota. If that portion of Minnesota had remained wit
h Wisconsin, St Paul and Duluth would both be cities in Wisconsin. That means would have to claim Woodbury, home to Michelle Bachmann, too. Geography and land is crucial to settlement and the effect of this ground breaking legislation in describing land and setting forth an elementary building block cannot be underestimated. Wisconsin would remain part of the Northwest Territory until 1800, at which time it would become part of the Indiana Territory, it would then later be part of the Illinois Territory, the Michigan Territory, and finally it became part of what was known as the Wisconsin Territory from 1837, until 1848 when it obtained statehood.

Map of the Wisconsin Territory

While we see Wisconsin today having many historical references and place names related to the Native American heritage and French explorers, the state was attractive to varied European ethnic groups during the peak periods of American immigration and settlement, today it continues to attract a different immigrant ethnicity than it did over 100 years ago. We see in neighborhoods of our cities and small towns an ethnic pride that is still prevalent today. Assimilation has muted ethnic differences, and some neighborhoods have transitioned from one ethnicity to another. Yet, they all make up the stew that is Wisconsin. While the tune of what we know as the “On Wisconsin” fight song may originally have been written in 1909 for Minnesota, the now title of that song well captures (captured) the attitudes of many in the state, and it also well fits with the state motto: “Forward.” Although, it sometimes seems that there is an amnesia about our state motto, and the intent of the title of the collegiate fight song title that continues to inspire many today. On Wisconsin!

Editorial cartoon regarding Latino's in Wisconsin