Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

Dakota. Hundreds ofWinnebago died

during the moves.

In 1865 about 1,200Winnebago finally

settled on a reservation in Nebraska. In

the 1880s half of the tribe returned to

Wisconsin. At the end of the 20th century

there were about 7,500Winnebago

in the United States. Most still lived in

Nebraska orWisconsin.

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Native Americans

Winnemucca,

Sarah

SarahWinnemucca was a Native American

speaker and writer. She worked

throughout her life to improve the lives

of her people, the Paiute. As a writer, she

is best known for her book Life Among

the Piutes, published in 1883.

SarahWinnemucca was born in about

1844 in what is now Nevada. Her original

name was Thocmetony, which

means “shell flower.” She was the daughter

of a Paiute leader named OldWinnemucca.

During Sarah’s childhood white

people moved onto Paiute lands.

By age 14Winnemucca could speak

English, Spanish, and several Native

American languages. Eventually the U.S.

government asked her to be an interpreter

between white settlers and Native

Americans. An interpreter helps people

who do not speak each other’s language

to communicate.

During the 1870s the U.S. government

forced many of the Paiute to move long

distances to reservations (lands set aside

for them). In 1879Winnemucca went

to San Francisco, California, to speak

out about how her people had been

wronged. In the 1880s she gave more

speeches in the eastern United States.

AsWinnemucca’s fame grew, President

Rutherford B. Hayes and other government

leaders met with her. They promised

to give some land back to the

Paiute. However, they did not keep their

promises.Winnemucca died on October

16, 1891.

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Native Americans • Paiute

Sarah Winnemucca

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Winnemucca, Sarah 51

 

Wisconsin

Wisconsin has long been noted

for its lakes, rivers, and beautiful

rolling hills. The state was named for its

main river, the Wisconsin. The name is

believed to have come from a Native

American word meaning “gathering of

waters.” Wisconsin is also known as a

center of the dairy industry. The slogan

on Wisconsin’s license plates is

“America’s Dairyland.” Madison is the

state capital.

Geography

Wisconsin is located in the north-central

part of the United States. In the north

Wisconsin borders Lake Superior and

the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Lake

Michigan lies to the east, and Illinois is

to the south. The Mississippi and Saint

Croix rivers form most ofWisconsin’s

western border with Minnesota and

Iowa.

The northernmost part ofWisconsin,

along Lake Superior, is a narrow plain.

But most of the northern part of the

state is a highland region with many

lakes. To the south is a plain that

stretches across the center of the state.

The southwest is a region of ridges and

valleys.Wisconsin has long, cold winters

and warm summers.

People

In the early 1800s white settlers came

to the Wisconsin area from other parts

of the United States. In later years

immigrants came from Germany,

Poland, Scandinavia, and other parts of

Europe. The majority of Wisconsin’s

people are descendants of these settlers.

African Americans are the largest

minority group, making up about 6

percent of the population. Hispanics

represent almost 4 percent of the

population.

Economy

Wisconsin is known as America’s Dairyland

because the state has long been a

leading producer of milk, butter, and

cheese. The state is famous for its cheddar

cheese, but it also produces Swiss,

Colby, and many other varieties.

Manufacturing and services areWisconsin’s

major sources of income. Many of

the state’s factories produce industrial

52 Wisconsin BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

machinery. Others make metal and

paper products. The processing of food

and the brewing of beer are also major

industries.

Service industries such as health care,

real estate, and tourism were the fastestgrowing

part of the state’s economy in

the late 20th century. Tourism provides

more than 300,000 jobs toWisconsinites.

Tourists spend about 9 billion dollars

inWisconsin each year. One

popular tourist attraction is Wisconsin

Dells, which is famous for its riverside

cliffs, sandstone formations, and family

vacation spots.

History

Several Native American tribes lived in

theWisconsin area when Europeans

arrived. Among them were the Ojibwa

(or Chippewa), Potawatomi, andWinnebago

(Ho-Chunk).

The French explorer Jean Nicolet landed

on the shores of Green Bay in 1634. In

1763, after many wars, France was

forced to give the region to Great Britain.

After losing the American Revolution

(1775–83), Britain gave the land to

the United States.

Settlement ofWisconsin was slow until

immigrants began arriving from northern

Europe in the 1830s. The U.S. Congress

madeWisconsin a territory in

1836. In 1848Wisconsin became the

30th state.

In the second half of the 1800s wheat

farming, lumbering, and dairying were

Wisconsin’s main economic activities.

Wheat farming and lumbering eventually

became less valuable. In the early

1900sWisconsin became the country’s

leading dairy state. Later in the 1900s

manufacturing and service industries

became important to the state’s

economy.

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Madison