Digital Resources for Teaching Wisconsin Studies view by series l teacher resources l home

Historical Eras and Themes

We have selected and organized the digital assets in this project using the ten "Historical Eras and Themes" identified in Wisconsin's Model Academic Standards for Social Studies:

Era 1: The prehistory and the early history of Wisconsin's native peoples
Some Wisconsin Indians refer to this time, before the arrival of Europeans around 1620, as the Old Time. Some artifacts, bones, and landscape features remain today as clues to how people lived back then, but these remnants can't communicate what people believed or how they felt.

Era 2: Early explorers, traders, and settlers to 1812
Explorers, missionaries and fur traders from France began arriving in Wisconsin in the early 1600s. Then came fur traders, soldiers, and miners from the British Isles, as well as settlers from the eastern and southern United States. As these various groups interacted with Wisconsin's native peoples, change and conflict resulted.

Era 3: The transition from territory to statehood, 1787 to 1848
The British continued to control the lands that are now Wisconsin until the War of 1812, even though Wisconsin had become part of the Northwest Territory in 1787. During the Black Hawk War in 1832, the Sauk and Mesquakie Indians fought against being removed from the area. By 1836 Wisconsin Territory was created and Henry Dodge was appointed as its first territorial governor. He and other territorial leaders worked to gain statehood by 1848.

Era 4: Immigration and settlement
People have been coming to Wisconsin for hundreds of years and for many reasons. Other than the Menominee and Ho-Chunk peoples who have always resided in this area, all of today's residents or their ancestors have moved from elsewhere to live in Wisconsin.

Era 5: Wisconsin's role in the Civil War, 1861-1865
Wisconsin residents helped in the battle to end slavery in the United States. One in ten of the state's population served in the armed forces. Wisconsin supplied and trained both volunteer and draft militia to fight on the side of the Union which left many farm families with a labor force made up of women, children and older men.

Era 6: Mining, Lumber, and Agriculture
From lead mining in southwestern Wisconsin in the 1830s, to logging in northern Wisconsin between the 1860s and the 1890s, and from wheat farming in the 1850s to present-day agribusiness, natural resources have played an important part in the state's economy.

Era 7: La Follette and the Progressive Era, 1874-1914
Robert M. La Follette, Sr. (1855-1925), was a lawyer, politician, state legislator, governor of Wisconsin, and a U.S. Senator. He and many other progressive people worked to change government, health laws, and working conditions in Wisconsin.

Era 8: The World Wars and conflicts
Wisconsin residents have served as soldiers and have sent food and supplies to both World Wars, the Korean and Viet Nam Wars, and the recent Persian Gulf Wars.

Era 9: Prosperity, depression, industrialization, and urbanization
Since the close of the Civil War in 1865, to the present, Wisconsin's economy has been affected by wars, the Industrial Revolution, and the growth of the railroads and cities.

Era 10: Wisconsin's response to 20th century change
Throughout the 1900s, people in Wisconsin have reacted to a changing world by preserving resources, traditions, and values, and by expressing and celebrating their cultural identities and heritage.


Choose an era to explore through video clips!
Eras to Explore Early Native Peoples Explorers, Traders and Settlers Territory to Statehood Immigration and Settlement Wisconsin and the Civil War Mining, Lumber, and Agriculture Progressive Era World Wars and Conflicts Industrialization and Urbanization Response to 20th Century Change
Digital Wisconsin Home l View by Series l Teacher Resources