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history
An official design for Wisconsin's state flag was initially provided by the legislature in 1863. Noting that a flag had not been adopted and that Civil War regiments in the field were re-questing flags, the legislature formed a 5-member joint select committee to report "a description for a proper state flag." This action resulted in the adoption of 1863 Joint Resolution 4, which provided a design for a state flag that was substantially the same as the regimental flags already in use by Wisconsin troops. It was not until 1913, however, that language concerning flag specifications was added to the Wisconsin Statutes. Chapter 111, Laws of 1913, created a state flag provision, specifying a dark blue flag with the state coat of arms centred on each side. That provision has become Section 1.08 of the statutes. The 1913 design remained unchanged until the enactment of Chapter 286, Laws of 1979, which culminated years of legislative efforts to alter or replace Wisconsin's flag so it would be more distinctive and recognizable. The most significant changes made by the 1979 act were adding the word "Wisconsin" and the statehood date "1848" in white letters, centred respectively above and below the coat of arms.
Nickname: The Badger State.
Capital: Madison.
Constitution: The 30th State.
Statehood: May 29th 1848.
Motto: Forward
History:
The Winnebago, Dakota, and Menominee Indians lived in the Wisconsin region when French explorers arrived in the early 1600's. Control of the region passed from France to Britain after the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). The region became part of the U.S.A. after the American Revolution ended in 1783.
Robert M. La Follette, Sr. won the Wisconsin governorship in 1900. Important reforms of the Progressive era took place under his leadership. They included direct voting in political parties' primary (candidate choosing) elections.
After World War II (1939-1945), manufacturing began to replace agriculture as the state's most important industry. In the early 1950's, Joseph R. McCarthy (1908-1957), a U.S. senator from Wisconsin, gained wide attention by charging, without supporting evidence, that Communists had infiltrated the U.S. government. He was censured by the U.S. Senate for his actions (called McCarthyism). In 1987, Wisconsin adopted a state lottery as a means of increasing government revenues.
Animals:
Badger (Taxidea taxus), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), dairy cow (Bos taurus).
Although the badger has been closely associated with Wisconsin since territorial days, it was not declared the official state animal until 1957. Over the years its likeness had been incorporated in the state coat of arms, the seal, the flag, and even State Capital architecture, as well as being immortalized in the song, "On, Wisconsin!" ("Grand old badger state!"). "Bucky Badger" has long been the mascot of the UW-Madison. In 1957, a bill to establish the badger as state animal was introduced at the request of four Jefferson County elementary school students who discovered from a historical society publication that the badger did not have the official status most people assumed. Custom and usage virtually dictated the badger as the self-evident choice for state animal. Serious opposition developed, however, when a faction from Wisconsin's northern counties introduced a bill to make the white-tailed deer the official animal, citing the state's large native deer population, the animal's physical attributes and the considerable economic benefits derived from the annual deer hunt. The legislature reached a compromise by adding two official animals to Section 1.10 of the statutes. In Chapter 209, Laws of 1957, it named the badger the "state animal", and Chapter 147 designated the white-tailed deer as the state "wild-life animal".
The dairy cow was added to Section 1.10 of the statutes as Wisconsin's official "domestic animal" by Chapter 167, Laws of 1971, in recognition of the animal's many contributions to the state. This action was termed a logical and long overdue step, consistent with the state's promoting itself as America's Dairyland, the slogan placed on state automobile license plates by Chapter 115, Laws of 1939. 1972 Executive Order 32 designated Wisconsin's first official dairy cow. The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is required to establish an annual rotation among Wisconsin's remaining purebreds. The Milking Shorthorn was selected for 1997, followed by the Brown Swiss in 1998.
Bird:
Robin (Turdus migratorius). In 1926-27, Wisconsin school children voted to select a state bird. The robin received twice the votes given any other bird. Chapter 218, Laws of 1949, which created Section 1.10 of the statutes, officially made the robin the state bird.
Coat of Arms:
The coat of arms contains a sailor with a coil of rope and a "yeoman" (usually considered a miner) with a pick, who jointly represent labour on water and land. These 2 figures support a quartered shield with symbols for agriculture (plow), mining (pick and shovel), manufacturing (arm and hammer) and navigation (anchor). Centred on the shield is a small U.S. coat of arms and the U.S. motto, "E pluribus unum" ("one out of many" referring to the union of U.S. states), to symbolize Wisconsin's loyalty to the Union. At the base, a cornucopia, or horn of plenty, stands for prosperity and abundance, while a pyramid of 13 lead ingots represents mineral wealth and the 13 original United States. Centred over the shield is a badger, the state animal, and the state motto "Forward" appears on a banner above the badger.
Economy:
Agriculture: cheese, dairy products, cattle, hogs, vegetables, corn, cranberries.
Industry: Machinery, food processing, paper products, electric equipment, fabricated metal products, tourism.
Flower:
Wood Violet (Viola papilionacea). In 1908, Wisconsin school children nominated 4 candidates for state flower: the violet, wild rose, trailing arbutus and white water lily. On Arbor Day 1909, the final vote was taken, and the violet won. Chapter 218, Laws of 1949, which created Section 1.10 of the statutes, named the wood violet Wisconsin's official flower.
Motto:
"Forward". The motto, "Forward", was introduced in the 1851 revision of the state seal and coat of arms. Governor Dewey had asked University of Wisconsin Chancellor John H. Lathrop to design a new seal. It is alleged the motto was selected during a chance meeting be-tween Governor Dewey and Edward Ryan (later chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court) when the governor went to New York City, carrying the Lathrop design to the engraver. Ryan objected to the Latin motto, "Excelsior", which Lathrop proposed. According to tradition, Dewey and Ryan sat down on the steps of a Wall Street bank, designed a new seal and chose "For-ward" on the spot. It is officially recognized in Section 1.07 of the statutes.
Nickname:
Badger State - History, rather than the law, explains Wisconsin's unofficial nickname as the "Badger State". During the lead-mining boom that began just prior to 1830 in southwestern Wisconsin, the name was first applied to miners who were too busy digging the "grey gold" to build houses. Like badgers, they moved into abandoned mine shafts and makeshift burrows for shelter. Although "badgers" had a somewhat derogatory connotation at first, it gradually gained acceptance as an apt description of the hardworking and energetic settlers of the Wisconsin Territory.
Origin of state's name: Based on an Indian word "Ouisconsin" believed to mean "grassy place" in the Cheppewa tongue.
Tree:
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum). A favourite state tree was first selected by a vote of Wisconsin school children in 1893. The maple tree won, followed by oak, pine and elm. Another vote was conducted in 1948 among school children by the Youth Centennial Committee. In that election, the sugar maple again received the most votes, followed by white pine and birch. The 1949 Legislature, in spite of efforts by white pine advocates, named the sugar maple the official state tree by enacting Chapter 218, Laws of 1949, which created Section 1.10 of the statutes.
The Winnebago, Dakota, and Menominee Indians lived in the Wisconsin region when French explorers arrived in the early 1600's. Control of the region passed from France to Britain after the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). The region became part of the U.S.A. after the American Revolution ended in 1783.
Robert M. La Follette, Sr. won the Wisconsin governorship in 1900. Important reforms of the Progressive era took place under his leadership. They included direct voting in political parties' primary (candidate choosing) elections.
After World War II (1939-1945), manufacturing began to replace agriculture as the state's most important industry. In the early 1950's, Joseph R. McCarthy (1908-1957), a U.S. senator from Wisconsin, gained wide attention by charging, without supporting evidence, that Communists had infiltrated the U.S. government. He was censured by the U.S. Senate for his actions (called McCarthyism). In 1987, Wisconsin adopted a state lottery as a means of increasing government revenues.
Animals:
Badger (Taxidea taxus), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), dairy cow (Bos taurus).
Although the badger has been closely associated with Wisconsin since territorial days, it was not declared the official state animal until 1957. Over the years its likeness had been incorporated in the state coat of arms, the seal, the flag, and even State Capital architecture, as well as being immortalized in the song, "On, Wisconsin!" ("Grand old badger state!"). "Bucky Badger" has long been the mascot of the UW-Madison. In 1957, a bill to establish the badger as state animal was introduced at the request of four Jefferson County elementary school students who discovered from a historical society publication that the badger did not have the official status most people assumed. Custom and usage virtually dictated the badger as the self-evident choice for state animal. Serious opposition developed, however, when a faction from Wisconsin's northern counties introduced a bill to make the white-tailed deer the official animal, citing the state's large native deer population, the animal's physical attributes and the considerable economic benefits derived from the annual deer hunt. The legislature reached a compromise by adding two official animals to Section 1.10 of the statutes. In Chapter 209, Laws of 1957, it named the badger the "state animal", and Chapter 147 designated the white-tailed deer as the state "wild-life animal".
The dairy cow was added to Section 1.10 of the statutes as Wisconsin's official "domestic animal" by Chapter 167, Laws of 1971, in recognition of the animal's many contributions to the state. This action was termed a logical and long overdue step, consistent with the state's promoting itself as America's Dairyland, the slogan placed on state automobile license plates by Chapter 115, Laws of 1939. 1972 Executive Order 32 designated Wisconsin's first official dairy cow. The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is required to establish an annual rotation among Wisconsin's remaining purebreds. The Milking Shorthorn was selected for 1997, followed by the Brown Swiss in 1998.
Bird:
Robin (Turdus migratorius). In 1926-27, Wisconsin school children voted to select a state bird. The robin received twice the votes given any other bird. Chapter 218, Laws of 1949, which created Section 1.10 of the statutes, officially made the robin the state bird.
Coat of Arms:
The coat of arms contains a sailor with a coil of rope and a "yeoman" (usually considered a miner) with a pick, who jointly represent labour on water and land. These 2 figures support a quartered shield with symbols for agriculture (plow), mining (pick and shovel), manufacturing (arm and hammer) and navigation (anchor). Centred on the shield is a small U.S. coat of arms and the U.S. motto, "E pluribus unum" ("one out of many" referring to the union of U.S. states), to symbolize Wisconsin's loyalty to the Union. At the base, a cornucopia, or horn of plenty, stands for prosperity and abundance, while a pyramid of 13 lead ingots represents mineral wealth and the 13 original United States. Centred over the shield is a badger, the state animal, and the state motto "Forward" appears on a banner above the badger.
Economy:
Agriculture: cheese, dairy products, cattle, hogs, vegetables, corn, cranberries.
Industry: Machinery, food processing, paper products, electric equipment, fabricated metal products, tourism.
Flower:
Wood Violet (Viola papilionacea). In 1908, Wisconsin school children nominated 4 candidates for state flower: the violet, wild rose, trailing arbutus and white water lily. On Arbor Day 1909, the final vote was taken, and the violet won. Chapter 218, Laws of 1949, which created Section 1.10 of the statutes, named the wood violet Wisconsin's official flower.
Motto:
"Forward". The motto, "Forward", was introduced in the 1851 revision of the state seal and coat of arms. Governor Dewey had asked University of Wisconsin Chancellor John H. Lathrop to design a new seal. It is alleged the motto was selected during a chance meeting be-tween Governor Dewey and Edward Ryan (later chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court) when the governor went to New York City, carrying the Lathrop design to the engraver. Ryan objected to the Latin motto, "Excelsior", which Lathrop proposed. According to tradition, Dewey and Ryan sat down on the steps of a Wall Street bank, designed a new seal and chose "For-ward" on the spot. It is officially recognized in Section 1.07 of the statutes.
Nickname:
Badger State - History, rather than the law, explains Wisconsin's unofficial nickname as the "Badger State". During the lead-mining boom that began just prior to 1830 in southwestern Wisconsin, the name was first applied to miners who were too busy digging the "grey gold" to build houses. Like badgers, they moved into abandoned mine shafts and makeshift burrows for shelter. Although "badgers" had a somewhat derogatory connotation at first, it gradually gained acceptance as an apt description of the hardworking and energetic settlers of the Wisconsin Territory.
Origin of state's name: Based on an Indian word "Ouisconsin" believed to mean "grassy place" in the Cheppewa tongue.
Tree:
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum). A favourite state tree was first selected by a vote of Wisconsin school children in 1893. The maple tree won, followed by oak, pine and elm. Another vote was conducted in 1948 among school children by the Youth Centennial Committee. In that election, the sugar maple again received the most votes, followed by white pine and birch. The 1949 Legislature, in spite of efforts by white pine advocates, named the sugar maple the official state tree by enacting Chapter 218, Laws of 1949, which created Section 1.10 of the statutes.