1 / 27

On WISCONSIN!

On WISCONSIN!. Statehood. 1848. Milwaukee: 14k People (40% German) Main business: Flour milling Main export: Wheat Transportation for trade 1854 Milwaukee RR reached Madison 1857 RR reached Prairie du Chien. Urban growth. #2 Racine: Wheat Port #3 Kenosha: another port city

bernad
Download Presentation

On WISCONSIN!

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. On WISCONSIN! Statehood

  2. 1848 • Milwaukee: 14k People (40% German) • Main business: Flour milling • Main export: Wheat • Transportation for trade • 1854 Milwaukee RR reached Madison • 1857 RR reached Prairie du Chien

  3. Urban growth • #2 Racine: Wheat Port • #3 Kenosha: another port city • West of Kenosha/Racine: Kettle Moraine • Hills, rugged, rough road for travel, not tilled • Watertown: on Rock River; mid-way between Madison and Milwaukee • Access to Mississippi • Market town • High hopes – lots of land speculation • Land easier to till closer to Madison

  4. More growth • Chippewa and St. Croix Villages • Timber speculation • Prairie du Chien • Continued as trading center

  5. PopulationToday:5,758,000

  6. Where did all of these people come from? • New England “Yankees”: settled in SE and along IL border • Janesville and along Rock River • Big immigration flow from Europe to U.S. (Push and Pull factors from Europe) • Why? Economic changes: • Agricultural improvements – less need for workers • Growing population – overcrowding • Potato Famine – Scandinavia to Ireland • Political Unrest - Germany

  7. How did they reach WI? • Irish and Germans – landed in New York • West via Erie Canal and Great Lakes • Scandinavians – via Quebec

  8. No room service… • From Liverpool each passenger receives weekly 5 lbs. of oatmeal, 2 1/2 lbs. biscuit, 1 lb. flour, 2 lbs. rice, 1/2 lb. sugar, 1/2 lb. molasses, and 2 ounces of tea. He is obliged to cook it the best way he can in a cook shop 12 feet by 6! This is the cause of so many quarrels and...many a poor woman with her children can get but one meal done, and sometimes they get nothing warm for days and nights when a gale of wind is blowing and the sea is mountains high and breaking over the ship in all directions.—Anonymous, New-York Daily Times, October 15, 1851

  9. Deluxe Suite: $325 (1855) • 1st Class: $130 (1855) • 2nd Class ($75) • 2015 (based on CPI conversion from 1855) estimates: • $6700 • $2700 • $1550

  10. The Great Equalizer? • Why move to the “New Frontier”? • Land • Only ½ of Wisconsin’s male population owned land • Wealth was concentrated • Milwaukee: 11 richest men • 46 people worth min $100,000 (multimillionaire today) • Top 10% had 80% of wealth • On the frontier – ratios were closer together • Connection between wealth and origin (brought $ with them) • American-born had more land than immigrants

  11. The “rest” of the population: Women, Blacks, Indians • Women had more respect on frontier – less of them • 1840: 8 men to 5 women • 1850: 6 to 5 • Marriage = money • More opportunities for better pay • i.e. teachers in demand made more • Sold as “healthier” away from cities, mining and growing industry

  12. Catherine Beecher • Sister of Harriot Beecher Stowe • “crusader” for women in schools • 1852: Milwaukee Female College: vocational training and academic advancement • Teacher training • Other reasons why women were in the classroom – • Cheaper than men • Flexible schedules

  13. Not all roses… • Obstacles women faced on the New Frontier: • Married women – part of their husband’s estate • No access to courts (w/o husband) • No vote • Trade Unions: • Goal to keep women out of certain jobs

  14. Women: Glass is ½ full? • 1850s Reform Movement • Passed law – ok to own property (independent of husband) • Contributed to Reform Movement • 1st state to abolish capital punishment • Tried to pass prohibition (governor vetoed)

  15. Wisconsin Indians • Census of 1860: • 1017 “civilized Indians” • 404 of them “half breeds” • Counted were those paying property taxes • Limited count of Indians on tribal lands/reservations: est. 8k

  16. Slavery in wisconsin • 1st Blacks in Wisconsin were slaves • Brought to work in mines • Prohibited by Northwest Ordinance, but no enforcement • 1840 Census 185 free, 11 slaves • 1850 no slaves, 653 free • 1860 1171 • Couldn’t serve in military • More rights than other Northern States • No inter-racial marriage laws • Could own property • Send kids to public schools • No job limitations • Be on juries, testify against whites, hold public meetings

  17. African American Population in WI • Milwaukee and Racine • Barbers/hairdressers • Sailors • Common laborers

  18. Abolitionists • Not many white people in north cared about abolition • Didn’t agree with taking “property” – fear that they could lose their own “property” • Congress had no power to alter state constitutions • But – people were becoming more aware • Morally wrong

  19. Secession • Growing issue • Mexican – American War (1846) • ? Of what to do with new lands • Extend to TX and CA? • Free Soiler Party (later the Liberty Party): • Compromise • Ignore where already is, but don’t let spread

  20. The Great Compromise • Tried to make everyone happy • Fugitive Slave Law: • Southern slavecatchers could take back • Based on an oath • No judicial process • Judge: higher fee if sent back than set free • Organized • Assisted Underground Railroad to Canada

  21. Underground railroad in Wisconsin

  22. Joshua Glover • Runaway slave in Racine • Federal marshal broke in • Beat Glover • Carted him away • Sherman Booth: Milwaukee newspaper writer and abolitionist • Protested • Lead a mob which called for Glover’s release, broke in and set free • Marshal was arrested • Booth was arrested

  23. QUICK WRITE: WHAT DO YOU SEE? • WHAT DO YOU THINK THE MESSAGE WAS?

More Related