The Career of Robert M. La Follette

Robert La Follette developed his fierce opposition to corporate power and political corruption as a young man. Affiliated with the Republican Party for almost his entire career, La Follette embarked on a political path that would take him to Congress, the governorship of Wisconsin, and the U.S. Senate. His support for progressive reforms, rousing oratory, and frequent clashes with party leaders earned him the nickname "Fighting Bob."

Born in Primrose township, Dane County, in 1855, La Follette worked as a farm laborer before entering the University of Wisconsin in 1875. After graduating in 1879, La Follette launched his political career... more...

Original Documents and Other Primary Sources

	La Follette publicly opposes U.S. entry into the war, 1917
	Campaign literature from Robert La Follette
	A journalist reviews Progressive achievements, 1900-1930.
	Wisconsin passes the nation's first worker's compensation law, 1911.
	How La Follette revolutionized the primary election
	La Follette decries party machines and private interests, 1897
	A survey of progressive politics in Wisconsin, 1934
	Flag used to drape the caskets of La Follette Sr. and Jr.
	Conditions on Wisconsin Indian reservations, 1909-1910
	Life magazine portrays La Follette as a traitor in 1917
	A 1906 La Follette political cartoon
	A 1911 cartoon of La Follette's railroad reform
	Pictures of Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
	Wisconsin State Capitol
	The University of Wisconsin's Red Gym
	Robert La Follette's house in Maple Bluff

Primary Sources Available Elsewhere

	A biographical sketch of La Follette with photographs
	Wisconsin Blue Books
	The autobiography of John R. Commons (1934)
	A Republican politician describes changes in government regulating powers
	Robert La Follette's autobiography, 1913

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