Turning Points
in Wisconsin History
The War of 1812
Although the fledgling United States took legal possession of Wisconsin at the close of the Revolutionary War, hardly anyone seemed to care. The new government had more important priorities than the remote Wisconsin frontier. And the few white residents here spoke little if any English, and looked not to Philadelphia and Boston for role models but to Montreal and Paris. The vast majority of Wisconsin residents were Native Americans, who needed good relations with both English and American fur companies to survive.
So when in 1812 politicians a thousand miles away began to complain about "freedom of the seas," few Wisconsin... more...
Original Documents and Other Primary Sources
 | A Ho-Chunk warrior cautiously acknowledges the U.S. in 1816. |
| A trader relates his family history and personal adventures, 1745-1857. |
| Ho-Chunk chief Spoon Decorah looks back over a long life. |
| Menominee chief Tomah declares his nation's neutrality. |
| Indian Versions of Some Early Wisconsin Events |
 | A local historian chats about Prairie du Chien (vol. 1) |
| A local historian chats about Prairie du Chien (vol. 2) |
 | Oil portrait of Souligny, Menominee war chief who fought with Tecumseh. |
| Menominee Chief Oshkosh in 1858 |
 | A British view of the capture of Prairie du Chien in 1814. |
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