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Wisconsin
Progressivism
During the years between the turn of the 20th
century and the outbreak of the First World War,
Wisconsin and the rest of the country entered
into a time of political and social reform. Known
as the Progressive Age, the citizens showed their
anger at the corrupt relationship between large
corporations and government by demanding reforms.
Although Wisconsin was prospering during the time,
many were concerned about the political repercussions
of concentrated power among big business. In Wisconsin,
the most famous reformer was Robert M. La Follette.
La Follette came from an agricultural background
and was familiar with the Granger movement and
the mercilessness of monopolies. He became a state
representative and gained a strong following during
the 1890s by vowing to end bossism (the domination
of a political organization by a boss) and the
ties between business and government. His movement
gained enough momentum for him to be elected governor
in 1900. He heavily influenced the state with
his ideas of reform, starting a strong tradition
of progressive Wisconsin politics that would last
until World War I. La Follette went on to become
a senator and brought his Wisconsin progressivism,
known as the "Wisconsin Idea" to national politics.
La Follette and other progressive politicians
helped pass a number of reforms including the
Primary Election Law, which ended the appointment
of all state candidates and lessened the power
of political bosses. Railroads and public utilities
were placed under a regulatory commission that
monitored their behavior. Also, a corrupt practices
and an anti-lobbying law would pass. The reform
movement moved beyond politics and into the social
realm with the creation of a workmen's compensation
law, the regulation of women and children's labor
practices, and the encouragement of cooperatives.
Unfortunately, Wisconsin's strong progressive
movement was cut short by the conservative practices
that took hold during WWI.
World War I
World
War I brought significant changes to the political
and economic climate of the state. The outbreak
of war and La Follette's opposition to it brought
the election of a "stalwart," or an anti-La Folette
Republican. Stalwarts remained in government until
1920. This halted the reform movement during these
years. Although La Follette, a small number of
German immigrants, and Milwaukee's Socialist Party
opposed the war, the majority of Wisconsinites
supported it. Wisconsin was the first state to
organize a State Council of Defense. Even the
Socialist mayor of Milwaukee cooperated with the
draft and other war efforts. The Milwaukee Journal
won a Pulitzer Prize in 1919 for being one of
the first American newspapers to report on the
brutality of the German government.(23)
Militarily, 122,215 Wisconsinites served in the
war and 3,932 died.(24)
The numerous German immigrants in Wisconsin lived
in fear of the Espionage Act. Anti-German sentiment
escalated into many charges of disloyalty and
indictments under the act. Most charges came from
personal remarks, often overheard in public. Many
faced fines for these comments and some even served
jail time. German immigrants also had to face
vigilantism and forced patriotism from their neighbors,
such as the mandatory purchase of war bonds.
| Table
4: Indictments Under the Espionage Act in
Wisconsin(25)
|
|
Indictment
|
Number of Charges
|
| Praising
Germany |
36
|
| Criticizing
U.S. Policy |
35
|
| Stating
that "It was a rich man's war and a poor
man's fight" |
32
|
| Criticizing
coercion in the sale of war bonds |
19
|
| Derogating
the Allies |
17
|
| Statements
critical of drives for war charities |
15
|
| For
remarks about meatless and wheatless days |
9
|
| Insults
to the flag |
9
|
Wisconsin During the 1920s
During
the 1920s, Wisconsin saw the resurgence of both
progressive and conservative trends. Progressivism
made a minor comeback with the gubernatorial election
of John James Blaine. The revival of the reform
movement was weak in comparison to the pre-WWI
progressivism, but some advances were made, mainly
in labor law. A limitation was set on the number
of injunctions that could be used during a strike
and a definition was made for peaceful picketing.
Milwaukee was the state's labor and socialist
capital, but both movements witnessed a decline
during the 1920s. The Red Scare of 1919 decimated
the socialist movement and the labor movement
lost 40% of its following.(26)
The conservative nature that dominated Wisconsin
during WWI carried into the 1920s with the resurgence
of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). The revival of the
KKK came as a conservative backlash to the labor
and socialist movements, as well as immigration.
The new KKK, like the Civil War-era KKK, championed
militant Protestantism and patriotism, but expanded
their hatred beyond African Americans to Jews,
Catholics, and immigrants in general. In Wisconsin,
the KKK was active in the cities and rural areas,
especially in Milwaukee where the majority of
immigrants resided. The Klan was not terribly
influential; having an approximate following of
40,000 in Wisconsin, but they proved successful
in drawing large crowds to their demonstrations.
Their presence and resurgence showed defiance
in the progressive trend of politics and immigration
in Wisconsin.
Economically, Wisconsin's industries prospered
during the 1920s, but farmers struggled. Post-WWI
caused an inflation that made it hard for farmers
to purchase the goods they needed. The demand
for agricultural goods dropped after the war,
leaving the farmers without the markets they had
grown accustomed to. During the 1920s, the number
of Wisconsin farmers dropped five percent.(27)
Farmers felt the effects of depression much sooner
than the rest of the population. Prosperity was
limited to business and industry. The automobile
industry received a huge boom during this time
and became the leading industry by 1925. Nash
Motors in Milwaukee and Kenosha, and General Motors
in Janesville emerged as national auto leaders.
The Great Depression
The
Great Depression hit Wisconsin hard in both the
industrial and agricultural parts of the state.
Most of the state's small banks collapsed completely.
Milwaukee's heavily industrialized economy was
devastated. By 1933, there was a 75% decline in
the amount of people who had been employed in
Milwaukee in 1929.(28)
Farmers and dairymen suffered even more than they
had during the 1920s. Many dairymen held milk
strikes in hopes of forcing a rise in milk prices,
but they were largely ineffective.
Relief came from both the state and federal government.
The governor of Wisconsin enacted his own "Little
New Deal", which helped farmers and promoted cheaper
power, heat, and light. President Franklin Roosevelt's
New Deal also brought relief to the state. New
Deal agencies created work in the state in the
form of internal projects. By 1943, the Works
Progress Administration brought $369,000,000 into
the state. The New Deal helped Wisconsinites survive
the Depression, but only the outbreak of the Second
World War had the capacity to end it.
Wisconsin During WWII
The colossal demands of World War II vaulted the
United States out of Depression. Defense spending
poured into the states, providing work for millions.
Industry and agriculture both reveled in the high
demands, quickly making a full recovery. The cities
of Manitowoc, Sturgeon Bay, and Superior became
shipbuilding centers, producing war ships and
submarines. The Badger Ordinance Company became
one of the largest ammunitions manufacturers in
the world. Wisconsin received $4.6 billion in
contracts during the war.(29)
Wisconsin aided the war effort in ways beyond
production. Shortages of food and other products
prompted Wisconsinites to conserve. Rationing,
recycling, and self-sufficiency became patriotic
ways to help the war effort.
| Table 5: "Suggestions
to the County Chairmen of Consumer Interests,"
from the Wisconsin State Council of Defense(30) |
- Changed Consumption is necessaryo
Discourage hoarding
- More rationing to comeo Don't buy
things not needed
- Study consumer buying problemso Check
waste
- Study the cost of livingo Make sure
rent is stable in defense housing
- Study the price control billo Check
out credit agencieso Help merchants
save tires
- Offer your neighbor a ride
- Stress home production of garden produce
- Home preservation of food
- Home production of other articles
besides food
|
Wisconsin
provided its share of men and women to the war
effort as well. The University of Wisconsin
offered military training classes and shared
its facilities with the military. Soldiers were
trained at Camp McCoy and Madison's airport
offered military communications training. Over
320,000 Wisconsinites served in the armed forces
during WWII. More than 8,000 died while 13,000
more were wounded. Women became very active
in a military capacity, mostly in the medical
field. Approximately 9,000 Wisconsin women served
in the military, with only one being killed.
| Table 6: Number of
Wisconsin Citizens Who Served and Died in
Wars(31) |
|
Conflict
|
Number Served
|
Deaths
|
| The
Civil War |
91,379
|
12,216
|
| Spanish-American
War |
5,469
|
134
|
| World
War I |
122,215
|
3,932
|
| World
War II |
332,200
|
8,390
|
| Korean
War |
132,000
|
729
|
Exploring Wisconsin's Heritage through Place-Names
An
interesting way to explore Wisconsin's heritage
is through information provided by the land's
place-names. Wisconsin's place-names were influenced
by a number of factors that reveal much about
the area's history. Many were influenced by Indian
words, others by the place early settlers originated
from. Some places were named after their earliest
setters. There are many ethnic place-names found
throughout the state, such as Frenchville and
Irish Hollow. It was very common for settlers
to name a town after the place they originated
from, such as the town of Manchester, in Green
Lakes County, which was named after the English
immigrants from Manchester who settled there.
There was also a trend to name towns after European
cities, even if the city name had no relationship
to the area. For example, railroad workers named
the town of Milan after the Italian city.
There
was also a trend to name towns after American
towns of the same name. Some examples of these
are Lyndon, in Sheboygan County, which is named
after Lyndon, Vermont, and a settler from Lima,
Ohio named West Lima in Richland County. A settler
who had once mined gold in El Dorado County, California
named Fond du Lac County's town of the same name.
There are also many Native American influenced
names. Many of these names were taken from the
Indian name for the land or after a famous Native
American figure. For example, Wisconsin is a derivative
of the Native American word "Misconsing," which
was their name for the Wisconsin River. Milwaukee
is also influenced by Native American language,
although it has changed significantly throughout
the years. In 1679 the town name was reported
as "Millecki," meaning "good land." In 1699, it
was reported as "Milwarkik," which translated
to "great council place." In 1761 it was called
"Milwauky," meaning "good earth." From that point
the pronunciation remained almost the same but
the spelling changed from Milwauki in 1779, Milwacki
in 1817, and went through the variations of Milwahkie,
Milwalky, and Milwaukie, before finally settling
on Milwaukee. Place-names are a great reference
point when embarking on local research for in
them lay many interesting stories.
| Table 7: A Selection
of Ethnic Place-Names in Wisconsin(32) |
|
Place-Name
|
County
|
Description
|
| Alstead |
Burnett
|
Named
for James Alstead, an early Norwegian settler |
| Frenchville |
Trempealeau
|
Near
French Creek |
| West
Denmark |
Polk
|
Danish
community |
| Rhine |
Sheboygan
|
German
settlers named it after the river in Europe |
| Kiel |
Calumet
|
Named
for German city by a German immigrant |
|
Irish Place-Names
|
---
|
|
| Irish
Hollow |
Green
|
Named
for the early settlers from Antrim, Ireland |
| Erin
(2) |
St. Croix, Washington
|
Named
after the many Irish who settled in both
areas |
| Irish
Valley (3) |
Buffalo, Jackson, Sauk
|
Three
separate locations called Irish Valley |
| Irish
Ridge (2) |
Grant, Crawford
|
Two
separate locations called Irish Ridge |
| Glenmore |
Brown
|
|
| Avoca |
Iowa
|
|
| Scottish
Place-Names |
---
|
|
| Alderly |
Dodge
|
Named
for the first 3 settlers, who were from
Scotland |
| Caledonia
(3) |
Columbia, Trempealeau,
Racine
|
Caledonia
is the Latin name for Scotland |
|
Elcho, Atheslstane,
Ettrick, Melrose,
Scots Junction,
Argyle
|
---
|
All
Scottish place-names in Wisconsin |
| Welsh
Place-Names |
---
|
|
| Welsh
Hollow |
Richland
|
|
| Cambria |
Columbia
|
|
| Wales |
Waukesha
|
|
| English
Place-Names |
---
|
|
| Manchester |
Green Lake
|
English
immigrants from Manchester settled there |
| Exeter |
Green
|
Named
after Exeter, England |
Albion
(2), Ripon,
Winchester, English
Valley, English Ridge,
Woodstock, Leeds,
London, Boscobel,
British Hollow |
---
|
All
English place-names |
| Native
American |
---
|
|
| Butte
des Morts |
Winnebago
|
French
for "Hill of the Dead," named for numerous
Indian burial grounds |
| Carramana |
Rock
|
"Walking
Turtle," after a Winnebago chief |
| Milwaukee |
Milwaukee
|
Native
American word for "Good land," or "Good
earth" |
| Racine |
Racine
|
Indian
name for the area was "ot-chee-beek," meaning
root. The French word for root is
"racine." |
|
|
(23)Robert
C. Nesbitt, Wisconsin, A History, (Madison: The
University of Wisconsin Press, 1973), 440.
(24)
Wisconsin's Past and Present, 86.
(25) Nesbitt,
447-448.
(26)
Nesbitt, 461.
(27) Nesbitt,
459.
(28)
Garra, 250.
(29) "The World
War II Military and Home Fronts," Turning Points
of Wisconsin History
<www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/tp-038?/action=more_essay>
(30)"Suggestions
to County Chairmen of Consumer Interests," (Wisconsin
State Council of Defense, State Advisory Committee
of Consumer Interests, 1942) Facsimile at <www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/serach.asp?/id=1293>
26 October 2005.
(31) Wisconsin's
Past and Present, 86.
(32) Robert
E. Gard and L.G. Sorden, The Romance of Wisconsin
Place Names, (New York: October House, Inc., 1968)
and The Wisconsin Cartographers Guild, Wisconsin's
Past and Present, A Historical Atlas, (Madison:
The University of Wisconsin Press, 1998), 16-17.
|
By
Rickie Lazzerini
Historian
BA History
University of California, Santa Barbara
Index
of Historical Reviews
© 2006 Rickie Lazzerini,
All Rights Reserved
This page may be freely linked to but may not
be reproduced
in any form without prior written consent from
the author.
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