The Americana Series Monthly Challenge – November 2020: Wisconsin

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The Americana Series Monthly Challenge – November 2020: Wisconsin

1bhabeck
nov. 1, 2020, 3:40 am

Each month, we will visit a different state in the United States of America for the Monthly Reading Challenge in the Mystery & Suspense Extra! Group. This month, we head back to Midwest and visit a state that has been in the news often in the last month due to Covid 19 spikes - Wisconsin.

The Americana Series Monthly Challenge – November 2020: Wisconsin


History

Wisconsin is a US state in the north-central, Midwest and Great Lakes regions of the country. Wisconsin is the 20th most populated US state with approximately 5.8 million people as of 2019, the 23rd in terms of density and the 23rd largest by area at 65,498 square miles (169,640 sq km). Its capital is Madison and Milwaukee is the most populous city.

French explorer Jean Nicolet was thought to be the first European to reach Wisconsin when he canoed through the Great Lakes and landed at Green Bay in 1634. The name Wisconsin comes from the reference to the Wisconsin River which has banks of red sandstone. Jacques Marquette named the river Meskonsing and subsequent French writers changed the spelling to Ouisconsin, ultimately becoming Wisconsin when the legislature of the Wisconsin Territory made the current spelling official in 1845.

Wisconsin has been home to a wide variety of cultures over the past 14,000 years. The first people arrived around 10,000 BCE during the Wisconsin Glaciation. After the ice age, people survived by hunting, fishing and gathering plants. Agricultural societies emerged between 1,000 BCE and 1,000 CE. Wisconsin is home to a variety of Native American tribes including the Menominee, Fox, Kickapoo and Pottawatomie tribes, many who migrated to Wisconsin from the east between 1500 and 1700.

Although the French continued to ply the fur trade across Wisconsin throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, they didn't make any permanent settlements before Great Britain won control of the region following the French and Indian War in 1763. Like the French, the British were interested in little but the fur trade.

Wisconsin became a territorial possession of the United States in 1783 after the American Revolutionary War. In 1787, it became part of the Northwest Territory, then the Indiana Territory from 1809 to 1818 and the Michigan Territory from 1818 to 1836. However, the British remained in control of the area until after the War of 1812, the outcome of which finally established an American presence in the area. Under American control, the economy of the territory shifted from fur trading to lead mining. The prospect of easy mineral wealth drew immigrants from throughout the U.S. and Europe to the lead deposits located at Mineral Point, Dodgeville, and nearby areas. Some miners found shelter in the holes they had dug, and earned the nickname "badgers", leading to Wisconsin's identity as the "Badger State". The sudden influx of white miners prompted tension with the local Native American population. The Winnebago War of 1827 and the Black Hawk War of 1832 culminated in the forced removal of Native Americans from most parts of the state. The growing population allowed Wisconsin to gain statehood on May 29, 1848, as the 30th state. Between 1840 and 1850, Wisconsin's non-Indian population had swollen from 31,000 to 305,000. More than a third of residents were foreign born, including Germans, British immigrants from England, Scotland, and Wales, and Irish. Another third were Yankees from New England and western New York state.

A free state from its foundation, Wisconsin became a center of northern abolitionism. The debate became especially intense in 1854 after Joshua Glover, a runaway slave from Missouri, was captured in Wisconsin. Glover was taken into custody under the Federal Fugitive Slave Law, but a mob of abolitionists stormed the prison where Glover was held and helped him escape to Canada. In a trial stemming from the incident, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ultimately declared the Fugitive Slave Law unconstitutional. The Republican Party, founded on March 20, 1854, by anti-slavery expansion activists in Ripon, Wisconsin, grew to dominate state politics in the aftermath of these events. During the Civil War, around 91,000 troops from Wisconsin fought for the Union.

The early 20th century was also notable for the emergence of progressive politics championed by Robert M. La Follette. Between 1901 and 1914, Progressive Republicans in Wisconsin created the nation's first comprehensive statewide primary election system, the first effective workplace injury compensation law, and the first state income tax, making taxation proportional to actual earnings. The progressive Wisconsin Idea also promoted the statewide expansion of the University of Wisconsin through the UW-Extension system at this time. Wisconsin create the first unemployment compensation program in the United States in 1932.

In the immediate aftermath of World War II, citizens of Wisconsin were divided over things such as creation of the United Nations, support for the European recovery, and the growth of the Soviet Union's power. However, when Europe divided into Communist and capitalist camps and the Communist revolution in China succeeded in 1949, public opinion began to move towards support for the protection of democracy and capitalism against Communist expansion. Wisconsin took part in several political extremes in the mid to late 20th century, ranging from the anti-communist crusades of Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s to the radical antiwar protests at UW-Madison that culminated in the Sterling Hall bombing in August 1970. The state undertook welfare reform under Republican Governor Tommy Thompson during the 1990s. The state's economy also underwent further transformations towards the close of the 20th century, as heavy industry and manufacturing declined in favor of a service economy based on medicine, education, agribusiness, and tourism.

Beginning in the 1890s, farmers in Wisconsin shifted from wheat to dairy production in order to make more sustainable and profitable use of their land. Many immigrants carried cheese-making traditions that, combined with the state's suitable geography and dairy research led by Stephen Babcock at the University of Wisconsin, helped the state build a reputation as "America's Dairyland". Meanwhile, conservationists including Aldo Leopold helped re-establish the state's forests during the early 20th century, paving the way for a more renewable lumber and paper milling industry as well as promoting recreational tourism in the northern woodlands. Manufacturing also boomed in Wisconsin during the early 20th century, driven by an immense immigrant workforce arriving from Europe. Industries in cities like Milwaukee ranged from brewing and food processing to heavy machine production and tool-making, leading Wisconsin to rank 8th among U.S. states in total product value by 1910.
Today, the state is one of the nation's leading dairy producers and is known as "America's Dairyland"; it is particularly famous for its cheese. Manufacturing (especially paper products), information technology (IT), cranberries, ginseng, and tourism are also major contributors to the state's economy.

Geography



Wisconsin is bordered to the west by Minnesota, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast and Lake Superior to the north.

Wisconsin's geography is diverse, having been greatly impacted by glaciers during the Ice Age with the exception of the Driftless Area. The Northern Highland and Western Upland along with a part of the Central Plain occupies the western part of the state, with lowlands stretching to the shore of Lake Michigan. Wisconsin is third to Ontario and Michigan in the length of its Great Lakes coastline.

Fun Facts

Wisconsin has 7,446 streams and rivers. Lined up end-to-end, they would stretch 26,767 miles – more than enough to circle the globe at the equator. In addition, Wisconsin has 16,692 lakes (which beats Minnesota's motto of "Land of 10,000 Lakes"). All told, Wisconsin contains more than 11,188 square miles of water.

The House on the Rock was designed and built in the early 1940s. It is considered an architectural marvel and is perched on a 60-foot chimney of rock. The 14-room house is now a complex of rooms, streets, buildings and gardens covering over 200 acres. The Infinity Room contains 3,264 windows.


Despite being known for its dairy product, Wisconsin leads the nation in exports of cranberries, whey, sweet corn and ginseng root. In fact, Wausau, Wisconsin is the Ginseng Capital of the World.

The American Birkebeiner, a 52k cross-country ski race, is the largest on the North American continent.

Mount Horeb is the Troll Capital of the World and home to the Mustard Museum. A large main street called the "Trollway" is peppered with large statues of the mythical creatures. The troll theme was inspired by Nordic folklore as the town was once more than 75% Norwegian. The Mustard Museum holds the world's largest mustard collection. The museum contains more than 5,300 varieties of mustard from more than 60 countries. The museum celebrates National Mustard Day each August.


Milwaukee is home to Harley Davidson Motorcycles. It was also once home to four of the world's biggest breweries: Miller, Pabst, Blatz and Schlitz. Today, the state's only remaining large-scale brewery is Miller.


Green Bay is considered the Toilet Paper Capital of the World. Green Bay is revered as the home of the first splinter-free toilet paper (!). The soft paper fabric was invented by Northern Paper, a precursor to Quilted Northern, in the 1930s.

What is now referred to as the solid-body electric guitar was brought to popularity in part by Wisconsin's own Les Paul.

Southern Wisconsin is filled with earthen burial mounds shaped like people and animals like birds, bears, and panthers. They were constructed by Native American tribes during the Late Woodland Period, and some are more than 1000 years old. Although thousands of effigy mounds remain in Wisconsin, 80 percent of them are thought to have been destroyed by urban development and farming practices.


Wisconsin is the only state to offer a Master Cheesemaker program. It takes three years to complete, and you need 10 years of cheese making experience before you can even apply as a candidate. Wisconsin produces more cheese than any other state in the national - approximately 90% of the milk from Wisconsin cows is used to make cheese.


The Green Bay Packers joined the National Football League a year after it was founded in 1920. Since then, they've won more NFL championships (13) than any other team in history. Thanks to this distinction, the city of Green Bay is unofficially known as "Titletown USA."


Notable Residents

Both Jeffrey Dahmer and Ed Gein hail from Wisconsin. Gein achieved widespread notoriety in 1957 after authorities discovered that he had exhumed corpses from local graveyards and fashioned trophies and keepsakes from their bones and skin. He also killed 2 women. Gein died at the Mendota Mental Health Institute in July 1984. Jeffrey Dahmer was a serial killer and sex offender who committed the murder and dismemberment of 17 men and boys from 1978 to 1991. Many of his later murders involved necrophilia, cannibalism and the permanent preservation of body parts. Dahmer, sentenced to 16 terms of life imprisonment, was beaten to death by a fellow inmate in November 1994.

Famous Wisconsinites include: Harry Houdini, famous magician and escape artist. Douglas MacArthur, well known World War II and Korean War general. Frank Lloyd Wright, America’s most famous architect. William H. Rehnquist, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

A long list of famous actors, writers, musicians, and artists were born in Wisconsin: Willem Dafoe, Don Ameche, Chris Farley, Georgia O’Keeffe, Orson Welles, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Liberace, Gene Wilder, and Mark Ruffalo, among others.

In honor of WISCONSIN, read a Mystery/Suspense book (any sub-genre will do!) that satisfies one or more of the following:

• A Mystery/Suspense book with "Lake," "River," "Winter," or "Water" in the title OR has a cover that is more than 50% either green or gold OR has a farm on the cover;

• A Mystery/Suspense book about a serial killer OR one which has a professional athlete OR the story takes place in the upper Midwest/Great Lakes region of the United States;

• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's initials (BOTH the first AND last) can be found in WISCONSIN.


Happy Reading ❤

2bhabeck
nov. 1, 2020, 3:42 am

Brenda's November 2020 Americana Challenge - Wisconsin
0 of 3 Complete


In honor of WISCONSIN, read a Mystery/Suspense book (any sub-genre will do!) that satisfies one or more of the following:

• A Mystery/Suspense book with "Lake," "River," "Winter," or "Water" in the title OR has a cover that is more than 50% either green or gold OR has a farm on the cover;

• A Mystery/Suspense book about a serial killer OR one which has a professional athlete OR the story takes place in the upper Midwest/Great Lakes region of the United States;

• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's initials (BOTH the first AND last) can be found in WISCONSIN.

3Carol420
Editat: nov. 17, 2020, 11:30 am


📌 - ★
3/3
Carol's Going To see if she Can Break Her Neck on Her Harley

📌1, A Mystery/Suspense book with "Lake," "River," "Winter," or "Water" in the title OR has a cover that is more than 50% either green or gold OR has a farm on the cover.
The Devil and The Dark Water - Stuart Turton - 4★

📌2. A Mystery/Suspense book about a serial killer OR one which has a professional athlete OR the story takes place in the upper Midwest/Great Lakes region of the United States
Sinister Summer - Colleen Gleason - 4.5★ (Takes place in Michigan)

📌3. A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's initials (BOTH the first AND last) can be found in WISCONSIN.
Maps - Nash Summers (N & S)

4jguidry
Editat: des. 1, 2020, 10:45 pm

Jaret Wanders around Wisconsin
(1/3 completed)

• A Mystery/Suspense book with "Lake," "River," "Winter," or "Water" in the title OR has a cover that is more than 50% either green or gold OR has a farm on the cover;

• A Mystery/Suspense book about a serial killer OR one which has a professional athlete OR the story takes place in the upper Midwest/Great Lakes region of the United States;
The Skin Gods by Richard Montanari 4 stars 11/28/2020 serial killer

• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's initials (BOTH the first AND last) can be found in WISCONSIN.

5gaylebutz
Editat: nov. 2, 2020, 10:04 pm

I’m going to read Most Wanted by Lisa Scottoline. It’s about a serial killer.

6gaylebutz
nov. 16, 2020, 5:41 pm

Done - Most Wanted by Lisa Scottoline - 3.5 *
It’s about a serial killer.

7nrmay
Editat: nov. 16, 2020, 7:35 pm

I'm reading Lily by Cindy Bonner. Cover is green AND gold.

8Carol420
Editat: nov. 17, 2020, 11:33 am



All Done! You are doing such a good job with this challenge, Brenda. Thank you again for doing it.

9bhabeck
nov. 17, 2020, 10:35 pm

>8 Carol420: nice! And, you”re welcome.

10Sergeirocks
Editat: nov. 28, 2020, 11:56 am

Island of Secrets by Rachel Rhys 3.5★s (Cover 50% gold)

Black River - Joss Stirling 4★s (Serial killer)

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