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Citizen Petitions, Remonstrances, and Resolutions, 1836-1891 | Wisconsin Historical Society

Citizen Petitions, Remonstrances, and Resolutions, 1836-1891

Citizen Petitions, Remonstrances, and Resolutions, 1836-1891

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Lincoln Petition

Petition to President Abraham Lincoln for the establishment of soldiers homes and hospitals in Wisconsin. The petition is signed by 18 women. View the original source document: WHI 75288

What is a citizen petition?
From the 1830s to the late 1880s, Wisconsin citizens petitioned the Territorial, and later, State Legislature to approve, reject, and edit the legal decisions and policies that affected their communities. Petitions addressed topics such as early immigration, infrastructure, disputes with American Indians, statehood, suffrage, temperance, and Wisconsin’s participation in the Civil War.
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Collection Processing

This collection was arranged, described, digitization, and conserved with the support of the National Historical Publications & Records Commission Access to Historical Records Grant.

 

Rights and Permissions

Users of the Citizen Petition Collection are responsible for obeying the U.S. Copyright Law. We believe the documents are in the public domain.

SEE THE WISCONSIN CITIZEN PETITIONS, 1836-1891 DIGITAL COLLECTION

Access over 2500 unique petitions, remonstrances, and resolutions submitted to the territorial and, later, state legislature by Wisconsin’s citizens between 1836 and 1880.

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Key Documents and Information

Key Themes from the Wisconsin Citizen Petitions, 1836-1891 Collection

A digital exhibit bringing together important original source documents by theme for convenient browsing. Short essays describe the background and implementation of citizen petitions as well as the range of reactions. Organized by topic.

Timeline for the Wisconsin Citizen Petitions, 1836-1891 Collection

Track significant events around which citizen petitions occur. Many events are linked to additonal resources provided by the Wisconsin Historical Society.

About This Collection

  • About the Wisconsin Citizen Petitions, 1836-1891 Collection Documents

    The Wisconsin Historical Society possesses a robust collection of government records, including petitions, remonstrances, and resolutions submitted to the territorial and, later, state legislature by Wisconsin’s citizens between 1836 and 1891. Select petitions have been digitized and are available online

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