Wisconsin Territory, located in the United States of America, did not become its own
territory until 1836. Before then, it was incorporated into Illinois, Indiana, and then Michigan territory.
It was not until 4 July 1836 that Wisconsin officially became a territory due to its increasing population.1
Before the U.S occupation of Wisconsin, the British held control over the territory
until the end of the War of 1812. Afterwards, Wisconsin grew in productivity. Throughout the 1820s, Wisconsin was
known as a primary lead mining area. By 1829, over 4,000 miners traveled to the territory. Their arrival led to the production
of 13 million pounds of lead a year.2
Wisconsin is the traditional territory of the Sauk and Mesquakie Indigenous Peoples
who fought against their removal from this area during the “Black Hawk War” in April 1832. The war led many young and old members of the Black Hawk tribe to die of hunger,
thirst, exhaustion, and outright government official- led violence. This war sent
the message to other Indigenous leaders that refusal to accept U.S terms would lead to slaughter.3
By 1840, most of Wisconsin belonged to the United States and in 1848 it became the 30th state. Although there had been over 70 treaties signed with the
Indigenous Peoples in Wisconsin Territory between 1804-1854, the treaties granted very little to Indigenous sovereignty but transferred almost
all of Wisconsin to U.S ownership. The land that was later settled became vacant due
to the removal of the Indigenous Peoples during the “Black Hawk War.”4