Wisconsin is one of the fifty states that, together with Washington D.C., form the United States of America. Its capital is Madison and its most populous city, Milwaukee. It is located in the Midwest region of the country, in the Northeast Central division, bordering Lake Superior and Michigan to the north, Lake Michigan to the east, Illinois to the south and the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers to the west, which separate it from Iowa (to the southwest) and Minnesota. It was admitted to the Union on May 29, 1848, as the 30th state.
The postal abbreviation for the state is WI.
Etymology
The word Wisconsin comes from the name given to the Wisconsin River by one of the Algonquin indigenous groups that inhabited the region at the time of European contact. French explorer Jacques Marquette was the first European to reach the Wisconsin River and record its name, arriving in 1673 and calling the river Meskousing in his journal. This spelling was later corrupted to Ouisconsin by other French explorers, and over time this became the French version of both the name of the Wisconsin River and the surrounding lands. English-speaking inhabitants anglicized the word into its modern form when they began arriving in large numbers during the 19th century. The current spelling was made official by the legislature of the Wisconsin Territory in 1845.
Throughout its many variants, the Algonquin word for Wisconsin and its original meaning have become obscured. Interpretations may vary, but most involve the river and the red sandstone that lines its banks. A more widely accepted theory holds that the name comes from the Miami word Meskonsing, meaning «lies red,» a reference to the setting of the Wisconsin River as it flows through the reddish sandstone of the Wisconsin Dells. Numerous other theories have also been widely published, including claims that the name originated from a variety of Ojibwa words meaning «place of red stone,» «where the waters meet,» or «big rock.»
Climate
Wisconsin has a humid continental climate. The highest temperature recorded in the state was at Wisconsin Dells on July 13, 1936, reaching 46 °C (110 °F). In contrast, the lowest temperature recorded in the state was at the village of Couderay, -48 °C (-100 °F) on February 2 and 4, 1996.
History
The Menomini, Winnebago, Kickapoo, Sauk, Fox, and Potawatomie tribes inhabited the lands of present-day Wisconsin. The first European to arrive there was the Frenchman Jean Nicolet, who reached Rock Island and Green Bay in 1634. Forming part of the junction between the Mississippi and Great Lakes river basins, Wisconsin was visited by numerous French missionaries, trappers and traders. The region passed to British rule in 1763.
After the American War of Independence, nominal control of the territory passed to this new nation, although the English continued to exercise effective power, either directly or through alliances with the Indians, until the war of 1812. As part of the United States, it was initially part of the Northwest Territory (1787), and in 1800 it became part of the Indiana Territory.
During the second decade of the 19th century, the influx of settlers, primarily lead miners, many of them from Cornwall, gained strength. From this period came the official nickname of the Badger State, due to the excavations they carried out. It also established that galena was the official mineral of the state. In the second quarter of the 19th century, Wisconsin was an important mining state. In 1816, the United States government established a fort at Prairie du Chien, along the Iowa border. During the Black Hawk War of 1832, the Indians rebelled in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to retain their land. Between 1829 and 1848, various treaties eliminated the Indians as a determining factor in the territory’s status, with their lands being taken over by the federal government and opened to mining.
The immigrants who arrived between 1830 and 1860 were mainly engaged in agriculture. Groups from New York and New England helped establish the Republican Party in Wisconsin in 1854.
The largest group of immigrants were of German origin, who started the dairy and brewing industries. The third largest group of immigrants were Scandinavians, especially Norwegians and Finns, who settled in the western and northern regions of the state. Today, Wisconsin has the second-largest population of Norwegian Americans, behind Minnesota.
On July 3, 1836, the Wisconsin Territory was organized, and on May 29, 1848, it was admitted as the thirtieth state of the Union. In 1851, construction of railroads began in Wisconsin to provide an outlet for wheat and iron ore production.
During the Civil War, Wisconsin remained loyal to the Union, contributing 96,000 soldiers to its armed forces.
In the late 19th century, a nativist movement swept through the state, culminating in Republican William Hoard as governor of the state. In 1890, he passed the Bennett Act, which eliminated German-language schools in Wisconsin. For this reason, voters of German origin, until then divided between Republicans and Democrats, turned en masse to support the latter, leading to the victory of the latter party in the elections of 1890. However, after the First World War, the use of German in teaching and public events declined significantly.
In the first half of the 20th century, the dominant figures in Wisconsin politics were Robert M. La Follette, Sr. and his son Robert. Robert, Sr. began his career in the Republican Party, later forming the Progressive Party. Members of the La Follette family represented the state in the United States Senate (Robert Sr. and Jr.) and served as governor (Philip La Follette). In addition, Robert, Sr. was a candidate for president in 1924, obtaining 17% of the vote, although he only won in Wisconsin. Progressive governments pushed through numerous reforms in the state, such as direct election of senators, women’s suffrage, a progressive tax system, open primaries, establishment of a minimum wage, and some social security measures.
Progressive power in Wisconsin ended in the 1940s, when Orland Steen Loomis, the last elected progressive governor, died in 1942 and Robert, Jr. was defeated in the 1946 Senate elections by Republican Joseph McCarthy.
Major cities
Appleton
Green Bay
Eau Claire
Kenosha
Madison
Milwaukee
Oshkosh
Racine
Janesville
Rhinelander
Wausau
La Crosse
Marshfield
Counties
Counties of Wisconsin
Although Wisconsin is known primarily for its rural areas, the state has cities and towns of varying sizes, with over 68% of the population living in urban areas, with the Milwaukee metropolitan area being responsible for housing one-third of the state’s population.
Milwaukee is an urban area located on the western edge of Lake Michigan that flows south into greater Chicago and northwest into Indiana, with a population of 11 million. With about 602,000 residents, Milwaukee is the twenty-second largest city in the United States.
ECONOMY
The rural economy was initially based on the trade in various animal skins. Later came logging, farming, and dairy cattle. Farming and ranching are concentrated in the southern two-thirds of the state, while logging and tourism dominate the northern third.
Despite having been a major producer of iron and lead, by the late 20th century Wisconsin’s only significant mineral production was crushed stone, sand and gravel, all for use in construction.
Industrialization began in the late 19th century in the southeast of the state, with Milwaukee as its major center and extending mainly across the southeast of the state, along the shore of Lake Michigan from Illinois to Green Bay. The industries of note include food (Oscar Mayer, Kraft Foods, Miller Brewing Company), machinery and transportation equipment (Harley-Davidson, Johnson Controls, Oshkosh Truck), paper (Kimberly-Clark), and medical instruments and publishing (Krause Publications).
In recent decades, service sector activities, especially in medicine and education, have grown in importance.
Sports
The Green Bay Packers have played in the National Football League since 1921 and hold the record for most titles with 13. The Milwaukee Bucks have played in the National Basketball Association since 1968, winning one national championship and two conference titles.
The Milwaukee Braves played in Major League Baseball from 1953 to 1965, winning one World Series and two National Leagues, after which they moved out of state. The Milwaukee Brewers have competed since 1970. In 1982, they won the American League to play in the World Series.
In college sports, the Wisconsin Badgers of the Big Ten Conference have won three Rose Bowls and 14 conference championships in football, as well as one national championship in men’s basketball. Meanwhile, the Marquette Golden Eagles have won one national championship in men’s basketball.
The Milwaukee Mile oval is the oldest active racetrack in the world, having opened in 1903. It is known for hosting the AAA National Championship, AAA National Championship, CART and currently the IndyCar Series, as well as the NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Truck Series. Meanwhile, Road America has hosted the CART, IMSA GT Championship, American Le Mans Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, CanAm and Trans-Am.
Whistling Straits Golf Course has hosted the PGA Championship and the Veterans’ Open.