Native Americans, including the Ojibwa, Menominee, Ho-Chunk, and Potawatomi, have a long history in what is now Wisconsin, with effigy mounds built about 12,000 years ago. European exploration began in the 1600s, leading to French control until British acquisition in 1763 and then U.S. control in 1783. Settlement by Americans followed, with land cleared for farming and timber for lumber. By 1829, lead miners were working in southwestern Wisconsin, and an influx of immigrants from northern Europe began in the 1830s. Wisconsin Territory was created in 1836 and became a state in 1848. Dairying became dominant in the state, and commercial lumbering decimated the northern forests until the mid-20th century. Wisconsin was a leader in abolitionist movements with the birthplace of the Republican Party in Ripon in 1854. After the Civil War, the Progressive movement emerged in Wisconsin, with Robert M. La Follette championing social legislation. The “Wisconsin idea” brought together state resources, the University of Wisconsin, and citizens’ groups to solve problems. Republicans dominated until 1932, and the Progressive movement separated from the party in 1934. Democrats gained prominence in state politics after more than a century of Republican dominance, though Republican presidential candidates have often had greater voter support. Wisconsin’s history is rich with Native American traditions, early European exploration, progressive reforms, and political shifts over time.
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