Colonial WisconsinColonial Wisconsin

First EuropeansFirst Europeans Etienne Brulé: Scout for Samuel de Champlain

Born:1592 Died:1633, explored North America 1615-1621

Traveled St Lawrence and Great Lakes with Native Americans

Is known to have entered Lake Superior; Wisconsin shorelinealready shown on maps by the time of Nicolet

Jean NicoletJean Nicolet Nicolet was searching for a water passage to the Pacific In 1634, Nicolet landed at Red Banks, near present Green Bay Met people who called themselves Ho-Chunk (People of the

Big Voice) Nicolet translated as “People of the Big Sea” This, and the fact that they cultivated wild rice, lead Nicolet

to believe that he was close to the Pacific Ocean

Médard Chouart,Médard Chouart, Sieur des Groseilliers Sieur des Groseilliers

1654-1656: Des Groseilliers spent two years in Wisconsin and Michigan gathering furs for sale in Montreal

Montreal & Quebec become center for French commercialfur empire in North America

New FranceNew France

Unlike the British most French settlementswere not permanent

Coureurs du bois wouldtrade metal tools, gunsammunition, etc withlocal tribes for fur

Fur was prized in the fashion industry ofEurope in the 1600sand 1700s

Green BayGreen Bay Nicolet established a trading post in Green Bay in 1634 The French called it “la baie puants”, the stinking bay. Later traders called it “La Baie Verte”, the Green Bay A Jesuit mission was established in 1671 A fort was built in 1717, town was incorporated in 1754 Ceded to British in 1761

Marquette & Joliet Marquette & Joliet Father Jacques Marquette, 1637-1675 Louis Joliet, 1645-1700. Born in Canada Marquette & Joliet explored Great Lakes. First Europeans to

reach the Upper Mississippi, followed down to mouth ofthe Arkansas River then returned north

Built trading post at Portage, Wisconsin

Nicolas Perrot: 1644-1717Nicolas Perrot: 1644-1717 Came to New France in 1660 with Jesuits Traveled, traded with and became close to Indians 1685 named commandant of post at Green Bay Built fort at mouth of Wisconsin River on Mississippi Claimed much of what is now Wisconsin in name of France 1690-1692 Discovered and began the mining of lead in

Southwestern Wisconsin and Iowa

Claude Allouez: 1622-1689Claude Allouez: 1622-1689 Jesuit missionary and explorer. Arrived in New France in 1658; studied native languages 1667-1669 served as missionary to the Potowatomi

and Ho-Chunk tribes in Wisconsin 1671 founded St Francis Xavier Mission in what is now DePere

French Settlement in French Settlement in WisconsinWisconsin

The French did not establish permanent colonies Posts & Missions were occupied temporarily by traders

and missionaries Traders often married Indian women, and established families

The First Fox War: 1712-1716The First Fox War: 1712-1716 Fox Indians controlled the Fox River & opposed French

attempts to use the river for fur transportation The Fox were also angered by French trade with the Sioux In attempt to develop trade, the French invite the Fox to

settle around Fort Detroit in Michigan

The First Fox War: 1712-1716The First Fox War: 1712-1716 Fox Indians rebel and attack fort with Mascouten and

Kickapoo allies. Eventually driven off by French 1716: Louis de La Porte de Louvigny leads 800 soldiers &

destroys Fox fortifications at Little Lake Buttes des Mortes Fox tribes surrender

The Second Fox War: 1728-1733The Second Fox War: 1728-1733 The Fox began harassing French traders again

The French decided on a policy of genocide

Captain Pierre-Paul Marin lead a sneak attack on Foxsettlement on Little Lake Butte des Morts

Attack included artillery and grenades

Fox tribe numbered 3500 in 1712, less than 500 after wars

French determination to destroy Fox damaged their relationswith other tribes in Great Lakes region

Surviving Fox fled south and joined with Sac (Sauk ) tribe

Charles de Langlade: 1729-1801Charles de Langlade: 1729-1801 Father was French fur trader, mother was Ottawa Indian Helped his father run the fur trading post at Green Bay During 1750s & 60s lead Indians fighting with the French

against the English. Was one of the leaders of the ambushthat killed General Braddock at Monongahela

Lead Indian troops fighting for the British during Revolution

1760: British Rule Begins1760: British Rule Begins In 1760 England defeats France in North America, and

Wisconsin falls under British Rule. It is a military district until 1774, when the Quebec Act

makes it part of the British Province of Quebec Captain Henry Balfour and the 80th Light Infantry take

possession of French fort at Green Bay, October 1760

Fort Edward AugustusFort Edward Augustus 1760: The British build Fort Edward on west bank of Fox River Four log buildings and a wooden stockade Garrisoned by Ensign James Gorrell, a sergeant and

15 privates of the 60th Royal American Infantry Regiment

Treaties with TribesTreaties with Tribes Gorrell quickly signed treaties with the Menominee, Sauk

Ottawa, Winnebago, Fox and Sioux tribes

Pontiac’s Rebellion: 1763-1766Pontiac’s Rebellion: 1763-1766 Ottawa chief Pontiac united many tribes in an effort to drive

the British out of the land west of the Alleghenies British abandon Fort Edward in Green Bay

Pontiac’s Rebellion: 1763-1766Pontiac’s Rebellion: 1763-1766 Tribes were reacting to the pressure of westward settlement

and the arrogant attitude of the British toward the Indians This policy was coordinated by Jeffrey Amherst The French had treated the Indians as equals and even

intermarried with them. British expressed contempt for the Indian way of life and often treated them as savages

Pontiac’s Rebellion: 1763-1766Pontiac’s Rebellion: 1763-1766 Many forts taken quickly by surprise in 1763 At Fort Michilimackinac the Ojibwe hit a lacrosse ball through

the open gate and ran to retrieve it. Women gave them smuggled weapons and the soldiers were massacred

Siege of Fort PittSiege of Fort Pitt 550 Colonists in Western Pennsylvania retreated to Fort Pitt Shawnee and Delaware Indians surrounded the fort Amherst and Colonel Henry Bouquet devise a scheme to

spread smallpox to the tribes with infected blankets Smallpox did help break the siege, but it is unclear whether

British plan actually caused the outbreak

Legacy of Pontiac’s RebellionLegacy of Pontiac’s Rebellion The violence continued

until 1766 British regained control over

much of the area, but both sides tired of war, sign treaty with Pontiac in 1766

Parliament issued (delayed)Proclamation of 1763 which set a dividing line between colonists & Indians in the Allegheny Mountains.

This Proclamation considered Native American “Bill of Rights”

Wisconsin during the RevolutionWisconsin during the Revolution Both Colonists & British sought alliances and fur trade

with tribes in Wisconsin Southern tribes began to switch allegiance in 1778

after George Rogers Clarke invaded Illinois & capturedBritish forts at Vincennes & Kaskaskia

Northern tribes remained loyal to British

Treaty of Paris: 1783Treaty of Paris: 1783

America wins Independencefrom Britain in 1783

What is now Wisconsin, ispart of the territory cededto the United States

At this time, French furtraders are still the onlynon native inhabitants