History. Government, Av.—Wisconsin was first visited by the French about 1660; and it remained nominally a French possession till 1783, when it was ceded to Great Britain. After the declaration of American independence, Wisconsin formed a part of the United States North-West Territory. Wisconsin was erected into a distinct territorial government in 1836; but the territory included a much larger area than the present state. In 1848 Wisconsin, with its present boundaries, was admitted into the Union as an independent state.
The constitution of the state of Wisconsin was confirmed by a popular convention in April 1848. By it the suffrage is vested in all free white males 21 years of age, who have resided in the state for one year, and in all civilised persons of Indian descent not being mem bers of a tribe. The legislature, elected biennially, consists of an Assembly of not leas than 54 nor more than 100 (at present 54) members; and a Senate of not leas than one-fourth nor more than one-third of the number of members of the Assembly : at present there are 18 senators. The governor is also elected for two years.
The judges are elected by popular vote. By the constitution, the legislature cannot pass a bill for a lottery or a divorce. The total revenue of the state for the year ending December 31, 1853, was 311,633 dollars.; the total expenditure was 254,197 dollars. The state militia consisted in 1854 of 39,565 men, of whom 414 were com missioned officers. In 1853, in the counties which furnished returns (39 out of the 45 in the state), there were in all 138,279 " children between the ages of 4 and 20," of whom 95,293 attended school. The capital of the State School Fund amounted on December 31, 1853, to 1,141,804 dollars, of which 1,107,709 dollars were at interest at 7 per cent. There are a state university at Madison, and colleges at Beloit and Racine.
(Hunt, Gazetteer of Wisconsin ; Statistical Gazetteer of the United States; Owen, Report of a Geological Surrey of Wisconsin ; Marcou, Geological Map of the United States ; Seventh Census of the United States ; De Bow, Statistical View of the United States; American Almanac.)