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Wisconsin Historical Background |
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Table of Contents
History
Effective family research requires some understanding of the historical events that may have affected your family and the records about them. Learning about wars, governments, laws, migrations The following important events in the history of Wisconsin affected political boundaries, record keeping, and family movements.
Roman Catholic missionaries established the mission of St. Ignace de Michilimackinac, at Mackinac (now Michigan). The mission was the center for traders going to and from what is now Wisconsin.
The British took possession of the area from the French but discouraged new settlers.
Wisconsin officially became part of the U.S. Northwest Territory The present Wisconsin area was included in the Indiana Territory.
The Wisconsin area was part of the Illinois Territory.
The Wisconsin area was included in the Michigan Territory. The territorial governor of Michigan created the first two Wisconsin counties, Brown and Crawford.
High prices for lead attracted settlers to the mines of southern Wisconsin. The Michigan 1820 census Heavy settlement began along the Lake Michigan shoreline at the sites of present-day Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha. The Michigan 1830 census lists of residents who lived in Brown and Crawford Counties in what is now Wisconsin.
The Black Hawk War Congress Many families arrived from Germany and New York.
Wisconsin, with its present boundaries, became a state.
Your ancestors will become more interesting to you if you also use histories to learn about the events that were of interest to them or that they may have been involved in. For example, by using a history you might learn about the events that occurred in the year your great-grandparents were married.
You may find state or local histories in the Family History Library Catalog under Wisconsin or the county or the town. For descriptions of records available through Family History Centers or the Family History Library, click on Family History Library Catalog in the window to the left. The descriptions give book or film numbers, which you need to find or to order the records.
Some of the most valuable sources for family history research are local histories. Published histories of towns, counties, and states usually contain accounts of families. They describe the settlement of the area and the founding of churches, schools, and businesses. You can also find lists of pioneers, soldiers, and civil officials. Even if your ancestor is not listed, information on other relatives may be included that will provide important clues for locating your ancestor. A local history may also suggest other records to search.
Most county and town histories include separate sections or volumes containing biographical information. These may include information on 50 percent or more of the families in the locality.
In addition, local histories should be studied and enjoyed for the background information they can provide about your family's lifestyle and the community and environment in which your family lived.
About 5,000 county histories have been published for over 80 percent of the counties in the United States. For many counties there is more than one history. In addition, tens of thousands of histories have been written about local towns and communities. Bibliographies that list these histories are available for nearly every state.
For descriptions of bibliographies for Wisconsin available through Family History Centers or the Family History Library, click on Family History Library Catalog in the window to the left. Look under BIBLIOGRAPHY or HISTORY - BIBLIOGRAPHY.
Wisconsin has a large number of county and regional histories, which contain much family history information. The Wisconsin State Genealogical Society has prepared every-name indexes to about fifty of the histories. The Family History Library has most of these indexes.
Local histories are extensively collected by the Family History Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies. Two useful guides are:
Filby, P. William. A Bibliography of American County Histories. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1985. (FHL book 973 H23bi.)
Kaminkow, Marion J. United States Local Histories in the Library of Congress. 5 vols. Baltimore: Magna Charta Book, 1975-76. (FHL book 973 A3ka.)
You can learn about the prestatehood era of Wisconsin in the many published volumes of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. Two good sources are the Collections of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin and the Northwest, Illinois, and Michigan, and Wisconsin Territorial Papers. Indexes to the territorial papers are in The Territorial Papers of the United States. 28 vols. (FHL book 973 N2udt; films beginning with film 1421059). Volumes 27 and 28 cover Wisconsin Territorial papers 1836–1848. The Family History Library does not have volumes 27 and 28.
The Wisconsin territorial papers collection (on microfilms listed below) has a few court records for 1836–1848; Bureau of Indian Affairs records 1836–1848; appointments of postmasters 1836–1848; maps 1836–1848; records of lighthouses and customs, and many other governmental records.
The Territorial Papers of the United States: the Territory of Wisconsin, 1836–1848: a Microfilm Supplement. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1959. (On 122 FHL films beginning with 1601731.)
Much historical information is included in the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Magazine of History.
A source for early Wisconsin historical information for the 1690s to the 1860s is:
Draper, Lyman Copeland, ed. Collections of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. 24 vols. Madison, Wis.: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1855–. (FHL 977.5 B2wc; films 924580–.) For example, volume 19 has extensive information about persons engaged in the fur trade, 1778–1817.
A source with excellent bibliographies concerning the early French traders and Indian records is:
Hansen, James L. “Voyageurs and Habitants: Tracing the Early French in the Great Lakes Region.” National Genealogical Society Conference in the States (1995: San Diego, California). San Diego, A Place to Explore: Syllabus. 2 vols. [Arlington, Va.] National Genealogical Society, 1996, 2:688–91. (FHL book 973 D25ngsc 1995.)
Especially useful sources for studying the history of Wisconsin are:
Quaife, Milo Milton. Wisconsin: Its History and Its People, 1634-1924. 4 vols. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1924. (FHL book 977.5 H2q; film 1036176; fiche 6046726.)
History of Wisconsin. Vols. 1–3, 5–6. Madison: State Historical Society, 1973–1988. (FHL book 977.5 H2sa.) Volume 4 is in preparation.
The following are only a few of the many sources that are available at most large libraries:
Schlesinger, Jr., Arthur M. The Almanac of American History. Greenwich, Conn.: Bison Books, 1983. (FHL book 973 H2alm.) This provides brief historical essays and chronological descriptions of thousands of key events in United States history.
Webster's Guide to American History: A Chronological, Geographical, and Biographical Survey and Compendium. Springfield, Mass.: G&C Merriam, 1971. (FHL book 973 H2v.) This includes a history, some maps, tables, and other historical information.
Dictionary of American History, Revised ed., 8 vols. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1976. (FHL book 973 H2ad.) This includes historical sketches on various topics in U.S. history, such as wars, people, laws, and organizations.
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History
, and religious trends may help you understand political boundaries, family movements, and settlement patterns. These events may have led to the creation of records that your family was listed in, such as land and military documents.
1690–1820
1763
1787
, but British fur traders effectively controlled the region until 1816.
1800
1809
1818
1820s
lists residents who lived in the Brown and Crawford Counties in what is now Wisconsin.
1830s
1832
ended the last serious Indian threat to white settlements.
1836
created the Wisconsin Territory, which included lands west of the Mississippi River to the Missouri River. Much of the western portion was later transferred to the Iowa Territory, created in 1838.
1840s
1848
1861–1865
Over 90,000 men from Wisconsin served in the Union armed forces during the Civil War.
1898
Over 300,000 men were involved in the Spanish-American War , which was fought mainly in Cuba and the Philippines.
1917–1918
More than 26 million men from the United States ages 18 through 45 registered with the Selective Service for World War I, and over 4.7 million American men and women served during the war.
1930s
The Great Depression closed many factories and mills. Many small farms were abandoned, and many families moved to cities.
1940–1945
Over 50.6 million men ages 18 to 65 registered with the Selective Service. Over 16.3 million American men and women served in the armed forces during World War II .
1950–1953
Over 5.7 million American men and women served in the Korean War .
1950s–1960s
The building of interstate highways made it easier for people to move long distances.
1964–1972
Over 8.7 million American men and women served in the Vietnam War
.
Historical Sources
Local Histories
State History
United States History
[FamilySearchTM: Research Guidance
Version of Data: 6/8/2001]