On Common Ground: Two Hundred
Years of Wisconsin History
Investigate themes distinctive to Wisconsin's economic, social,
cultural, and political history from the late 1700s to the late 1900s.
Land of Diversity
Learn how Wisconsin's people interacted with rich natural resources and unique geographical features.
Wisconsin as Frontier
Territorial Wisconsin prepares for settlement by non-Native peoples in the early 1800s. Fur trade communities of Green Bay and Prairie du Chien featured a blend of French, English, and Native American cultures.
- Walk into a lead mine and learn about the industry that shaped the early history of southwestern Wisconsin.
- Witness the role that the military played in opening the land to settlement.
- Explore objects and documents which demonstrate the roles that land surveying, government, banking and transportation played
The Immigrant State
Settlers from many different lands bring diverse cultural traditions to Wisconsin and adapt to new lives.
- Engage in an interactive multimedia presentation to learn contributions immigrant groups made to the state's settlement and culture. Discover some of Wisconsin's famous immigrants
and their descendants.
- Contemplate objects brought by European immigrants which link them to Old World cultures and reflect homeland traditions.
- Take side in a debate between a Wisconsin Yankee and a German immigrant over some divisive issues.
Making a Living
From farming and logging to industry and tourism, Wisconsin has a diverse and ever-widening economy.
- Learn why this wheat farming state became America's Dairyland
- Discover the state's "invisible industries"
- Find something you didn't know was "made in Wisconsin"
A Sense of Community
Social events and institutions bring people from many different backgrounds together.
Laboratory of Democracy
Wisconsin takes the lead in progressive politics and social and economic reforms.
Inherently Wisconsin
Investigate the ethnic diversity and distinct cultural characteristics which make Wisconsin unique.
Into the Mainstream
As we look into the new century and life's everyday decisions are more than ever influenced by national and global forces, we ask:
- "How do artifacts reflect history?"
- "What artifacts reflect our lives?"
- "What do our artifacts reveal about us?"
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