Congress created Wisconsin Territory in 1836. Voters rejected an initial constitution, approved a second in 1848 and Wisconsin entered the Union as the 30th state on May 29, 1848.
- 01
Begin before the territory
Indigenous peoples have lived in the region since time immemorial. Statehood did not begin Wisconsin's human history, and treaty-making and dispossession are essential context.
- 02
Wisconsin Territory forms
The territory was organized in 1836. Its initial boundaries extended far beyond the present state before other territories were separated.
- 03
The first constitution fails
A 1846 convention produced a constitution voters rejected in 1847 after intense disagreement over its provisions.
- 04
A second convention reaches approval
Delegates met again in late 1847. Voters approved the resulting constitution in 1848.
- 05
Admission follows
Wisconsin was admitted to the Union on May 29, 1848, as the 30th state. The state's constitutional and civic story continued to evolve afterward.
Common mistakes
- Starting the story with European settlement
- Treating statehood as one uncontested vote
- Using statehood to erase sovereign Tribal Nations
Take-it-with-you checklist
- Indigenous homelands acknowledged
- Territory: 1836
- First constitution rejected
- Second constitution approved
- Statehood: May 29, 1848
- 30th state