Topics in Wisconsin History

A Short History of Wisconsin

WHI 1806

Wisconsin's history fills more than 10,000 books and articles. This little essay compresses it into less than 10,000 words.

This squeezed out many juicy details, so we've linked key terms in the text to sources elsewhere on the Society's website. We've also provided sidebars that tell the life stories of a handful of real people. For more information on any topic, consult our online Dictionary of Wisconsin History. Finally, don't hesitate to click the "Email Us" link at the foot of any page; we can usually reply within a few hours.

Start reading below with "Ancient Land and First Peoples" or click a different topic to jump directly to it.

• Ancient Land and First Peoples
• Fur Trade Era, 1650s to 1850s
• Territorial Era, 1787-1848
• 19th-Century Wisconsin
• Progressive Era, 1895-1925
• Wisconsin in the Mid-20th Century
• Later 20th-Century Wisconsin