WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.240 Welcome back to the Deep Dive. Today we are taking 00:00:02.240 --> 00:00:07.019 a long journey into a state that really holds 00:00:07.019 --> 00:00:09.880 an outsized influence on American identity, on 00:00:09.880 --> 00:00:12.500 its politics. Yet, you know, it's often just 00:00:12.500 --> 00:00:15.439 summarized by a few simple stereotypes. Oh, absolutely. 00:00:15.720 --> 00:00:18.699 Dairy, beer. And if you're lucky, a big foam 00:00:18.699 --> 00:00:21.820 cheese hat. Exactly. So today we are diving deep 00:00:21.820 --> 00:00:24.899 into Wisconsin, the state known everywhere as 00:00:24.899 --> 00:00:27.500 America's Dairyland. Right. But for you tuning 00:00:27.500 --> 00:00:31.129 in. Our mission is to peel back those familiar 00:00:31.129 --> 00:00:34.710 layers and uncover the really profound, complex 00:00:34.710 --> 00:00:36.850 narrative that actually defines the Badger State. 00:00:37.149 --> 00:00:39.329 This is an accelerated briefing, really, to give 00:00:39.329 --> 00:00:41.439 you that comprehensive understanding. I think 00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:43.560 the most surprising thing, for me at least, is 00:00:43.560 --> 00:00:45.560 just how many contradictions Wisconsin holds. 00:00:45.719 --> 00:00:48.299 We have sources talking about an ancient history 00:00:48.299 --> 00:00:51.439 tied to Ice Age megafauna, a completely unique 00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:54.200 geological makeup with this rugged, driftless 00:00:54.200 --> 00:00:57.039 area. And the politics. The politics are, frankly, 00:00:57.179 --> 00:00:59.119 astounding. I mean, this is a state that was 00:00:59.119 --> 00:01:01.460 the simultaneous birthplace of the anti -slavery 00:01:01.460 --> 00:01:03.880 Republican Party and the pioneering progressive 00:01:03.880 --> 00:01:06.659 movement. And we are going to connect those dots 00:01:06.659 --> 00:01:09.810 for you. We'll start by revealing the true kind 00:01:09.810 --> 00:01:13.090 of gritty origin of the Badger State nickname. 00:01:13.409 --> 00:01:14.950 Which has nothing to do with the animal, right? 00:01:15.049 --> 00:01:16.709 Absolutely nothing to do with the animal. It's 00:01:16.709 --> 00:01:19.109 all about resource extraction. Then we'll track 00:01:19.109 --> 00:01:21.930 how an environmental crisis actually forced an 00:01:21.930 --> 00:01:25.730 economic pivot to dairy. And finally... Finally, 00:01:25.750 --> 00:01:28.890 we'll analyze how its status as this quintessential 00:01:28.890 --> 00:01:31.650 swing state today is really just the latest chapter 00:01:31.650 --> 00:01:35.840 in, well... 150 years of intense political experimentation. 00:01:36.180 --> 00:01:38.219 Okay, let's unpack this. We have to start with 00:01:38.219 --> 00:01:40.700 the most fundamental question. Where did the 00:01:40.700 --> 00:01:43.640 name Wisconsin even come from? When you hear 00:01:43.640 --> 00:01:45.819 the word Wisconsin today, it sounds so settled, 00:01:45.879 --> 00:01:49.439 so English. But the journey of that name is a 00:01:49.439 --> 00:01:51.760 centuries -long story, and it originates deep 00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:54.120 in the Algonquian language family. That's right. 00:01:54.540 --> 00:01:56.400 So let's start at the beginning. What is the 00:01:56.400 --> 00:01:58.920 earliest record we have of the name? Well, the 00:01:58.920 --> 00:02:01.019 name originates entirely from the Algonquian 00:02:01.019 --> 00:02:03.260 name for the Wisconsin River, which is the state's 00:02:03.260 --> 00:02:06.519 dominant inland waterway. The river itself. Yes. 00:02:06.659 --> 00:02:09.939 And the first European to record it was the French 00:02:09.939 --> 00:02:13.680 Jesuit explorer Jacques Marquette back in 1673. 00:02:14.219 --> 00:02:16.759 He noted the name in his journals, basically 00:02:16.759 --> 00:02:18.740 trying to phonetically capture the indigenous 00:02:18.740 --> 00:02:21.520 sound. And how did he spell it? He wrote it down 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:23.719 as Miss Gousing. Miss Gousing. And that's the 00:02:23.719 --> 00:02:26.159 origin point for this whole linguistic evolution 00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:29.400 that followed, mostly driven by the French. Precisely. 00:02:29.439 --> 00:02:32.340 The French were the main European presence in 00:02:32.340 --> 00:02:34.879 the Great Lakes region through the 17th and early 00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:37.759 18th centuries. So subsequent French writers 00:02:37.759 --> 00:02:41.560 took Marquette's recording and they gradually 00:02:41.560 --> 00:02:43.740 altered the spelling to better suit their own 00:02:43.740 --> 00:02:46.020 phonetic conventions. So they changed it. They 00:02:46.020 --> 00:02:49.400 shifted Miss Gousing to Wisconsin. And if you 00:02:49.400 --> 00:02:51.280 look at the written French, that spelling gets 00:02:51.280 --> 00:02:52.979 you pretty close to the sound we know today. 00:02:53.159 --> 00:02:54.939 And then when the Americans arrived, they take 00:02:54.939 --> 00:02:56.800 that French spelling and anglicize it one more 00:02:56.800 --> 00:02:58.740 time, and that lands us with the spelling we 00:02:58.740 --> 00:03:01.419 use today. Correct. As English speakers began 00:03:01.419 --> 00:03:03.580 to settle and gain control of the territory in 00:03:03.580 --> 00:03:06.479 the early 1800s, they adopted the existing name 00:03:06.479 --> 00:03:09.419 but dropped that French we beginning. And settled 00:03:09.419 --> 00:03:12.819 on Wisconsin. Yes, settling on Wisconsin. It 00:03:12.819 --> 00:03:15.419 was a gradual evolution. But the spelling we 00:03:15.419 --> 00:03:17.599 use was officially adopted by the legislature 00:03:17.599 --> 00:03:21.360 of the Wisconsin Territory in 1845, just three 00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:24.180 years before statehood. It's remarkable, really. 00:03:24.259 --> 00:03:26.159 The name passes through three different languages, 00:03:26.199 --> 00:03:29.479 but stays rooted in that first Algonquian description 00:03:29.479 --> 00:03:31.900 of the river. It's a phenomenal piece of linguistic 00:03:31.900 --> 00:03:34.740 endurance. But since the name is so old, do we 00:03:34.740 --> 00:03:37.699 know what the original Algonquian word meskousing 00:03:37.699 --> 00:03:39.740 actually meant? Is there a definite translation? 00:03:40.500 --> 00:03:43.569 Unfortunately, no. The exact original meaning 00:03:43.569 --> 00:03:45.949 has become a little obscured over time, which 00:03:45.949 --> 00:03:48.530 is pretty common with ancient place names. Right. 00:03:48.669 --> 00:03:51.409 However, the strongest and most widely accepted 00:03:51.409 --> 00:03:54.330 theories tie the name directly to the most prominent 00:03:54.330 --> 00:03:56.969 geographic features of the river. The red sandstone. 00:03:57.030 --> 00:03:59.430 The striking red sandstone formations along its 00:03:59.430 --> 00:04:01.449 banks, yes. That makes a ton of sense, especially 00:04:01.449 --> 00:04:04.330 with the famous Wisconsin Dells. Exactly. One 00:04:04.330 --> 00:04:06.409 leading theory suggests the name came from the 00:04:06.409 --> 00:04:09.710 Miami word mesconsing. The proposed translation 00:04:09.710 --> 00:04:13.280 is something like, it lies red. or maybe gathering 00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:16.000 of the waters, but that red component is key. 00:04:16.220 --> 00:04:18.439 So a literal description of the landscape. It's 00:04:18.439 --> 00:04:20.620 widely believed this was a direct reference to 00:04:20.620 --> 00:04:22.920 the reddish sedimentary rock cliffs and gorges 00:04:22.920 --> 00:04:25.480 you find in the Dells area, which look particularly 00:04:25.480 --> 00:04:27.660 vibrant from the water. So if you're a traveler 00:04:27.660 --> 00:04:31.339 on that river in 1673, that red rock landscape 00:04:31.339 --> 00:04:33.860 would have been the most visually defining characteristic 00:04:33.860 --> 00:04:36.480 for hundreds of miles. It would have been the 00:04:36.480 --> 00:04:39.220 defining landmark, which justifies it as the 00:04:39.220 --> 00:04:42.420 name. However... As with any lost language history, 00:04:42.720 --> 00:04:45.420 we do have to acknowledge some alternative suggestions. 00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:48.040 Like the Menominee suggestion. Yes, we noted 00:04:48.040 --> 00:04:49.720 an interesting counterpoint from the Menominee 00:04:49.720 --> 00:04:52.300 Nation, the suggestion that it might simply mean 00:04:52.300 --> 00:04:55.699 good place. A good place. A Menominee elder, 00:04:55.939 --> 00:04:58.980 Navatu's attorney, proposed that the origin was 00:04:58.980 --> 00:05:02.160 the Menominee word wakushai, which translates 00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:04.019 simply to that. It's a beautiful interpretation. 00:05:04.699 --> 00:05:07.199 It is. While the Red Sandstone theory is more 00:05:07.199 --> 00:05:10.649 rooted in visual geography, Good Place is a lovely, 00:05:10.689 --> 00:05:13.970 if less specific, reflection of the river's significance 00:05:13.970 --> 00:05:19.449 as a pathway and a source of sustenance. Both 00:05:19.449 --> 00:05:21.709 really underscore the importance of the waterway. 00:05:21.850 --> 00:05:24.329 And that reference to the earliest inhabitants 00:05:24.329 --> 00:05:27.949 brings us to the profound depth of Wisconsin's 00:05:27.949 --> 00:05:30.550 human history. This story doesn't start with 00:05:30.550 --> 00:05:33.759 French canoes in the 1600s. Not at all. We are 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:36.120 talking about human habitation going back 14 00:05:36.120 --> 00:05:38.860 ,000 years. The first chapter begins around 10 00:05:38.860 --> 00:05:42.139 ,000 BCE with the Paleo -Indians. They arrived 00:05:42.139 --> 00:05:44.839 during the final stages of that massive ice age 00:05:44.839 --> 00:05:47.540 known as the Wisconsin Glaciation. So they were 00:05:47.540 --> 00:05:50.839 adapting to the cold, hunting the megafauna of 00:05:50.839 --> 00:05:53.079 the era. These were the ultimate survivors, and 00:05:53.079 --> 00:05:55.459 we have specific archaeological proof of them 00:05:55.459 --> 00:05:57.980 interacting with those now extinct animals. The 00:05:57.980 --> 00:06:00.800 Boas mastodon. Yes. The most compelling evidence 00:06:00.800 --> 00:06:02.939 from this period is the Boas mastodon, which 00:06:02.939 --> 00:06:06.279 was unearthed in southwest Wisconsin. This mastodon 00:06:06.279 --> 00:06:09.540 skeleton was discovered right alongside unmistakable 00:06:09.540 --> 00:06:11.699 evidence of human activity. Projectile points. 00:06:11.959 --> 00:06:13.879 Specifically projectile points. Yeah. Confirming 00:06:13.879 --> 00:06:16.220 that these earliest Paleo -Indians were contemporary. 00:06:16.360 --> 00:06:19.740 with and successfully hunted these enormous creatures. 00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:22.839 It just immediately sets the timeline of Wisconsin's 00:06:22.839 --> 00:06:25.300 history in this global climate context. Then, 00:06:25.439 --> 00:06:29.019 as the ice receded around 8000 BCE, the environment 00:06:29.019 --> 00:06:31.459 warmed up and the cultures evolved into what's 00:06:31.459 --> 00:06:33.980 called the Archaic Period. Right. And they shifted 00:06:33.980 --> 00:06:36.860 away from mastodon hunting. The Archaic Period 00:06:36.860 --> 00:06:40.399 saw groups transition to a more localized subsistence, 00:06:40.459 --> 00:06:42.819 relying on, you know, sophisticated techniques 00:06:42.819 --> 00:06:45.220 for hunting, fishing and gathering. But the next 00:06:45.220 --> 00:06:47.680 big cultural explosion happened during the woodland 00:06:47.680 --> 00:06:50.379 period. That's right, which spanned from roughly 00:06:50.379 --> 00:06:55.439 1000 BCE to 1000 CE. This era marks the gradual 00:06:55.439 --> 00:06:58.240 adoption of agriculture and the rise of unique, 00:06:58.399 --> 00:07:00.959 settled communities. And this is where we find 00:07:00.959 --> 00:07:03.420 the incredible legacy of the effigy mound culture. 00:07:03.639 --> 00:07:05.779 I want to pause on this because this is a globally 00:07:05.779 --> 00:07:08.579 significant archaeological phenomenon. It absolutely 00:07:08.579 --> 00:07:11.319 is. Wisconsin was the undisputed center, the 00:07:11.319 --> 00:07:13.620 heartland of the effigy mound culture. These 00:07:13.620 --> 00:07:15.379 groups were famous for constructing thousands 00:07:15.379 --> 00:07:18.019 of geometric and, most famously, animal -shaped 00:07:18.019 --> 00:07:20.519 earth mounds all across the landscape. But these 00:07:20.519 --> 00:07:22.680 weren't just random piles of dirt. No, not at 00:07:22.680 --> 00:07:25.819 all. elaborate massive structures, often representing 00:07:25.819 --> 00:07:29.379 birds, bears, deer, or panthers. What was their 00:07:29.379 --> 00:07:31.839 purpose and what kind of effort did it take to 00:07:31.839 --> 00:07:34.360 build them? Well, the exact social structure 00:07:34.360 --> 00:07:36.579 that drove their construction is still debated, 00:07:36.740 --> 00:07:40.439 but they're generally seen as burial sites, ceremonial 00:07:40.439 --> 00:07:43.319 spaces, territorial markers, or possibly even 00:07:43.319 --> 00:07:46.339 astronomical indicators. The sheer effort required 00:07:46.339 --> 00:07:48.980 to move all that earth and shape these precise 00:07:48.980 --> 00:07:51.579 effigies, it just speaks to a highly organized 00:07:51.579 --> 00:07:54.620 society with significant coordination. It's an 00:07:54.620 --> 00:07:56.800 environmental archive of human presence that 00:07:56.800 --> 00:07:59.660 lasted for centuries. Later on, we start to see 00:07:59.660 --> 00:08:01.920 the rise of more structured settlements showing 00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:04.379 influence from cultures further south. Correct. 00:08:04.459 --> 00:08:06.939 As we move closer to European contact between 00:08:06.939 --> 00:08:11.500 1000 and 1500 CE, we find these substantial fortified 00:08:11.500 --> 00:08:13.959 settlements. Like Astellan. The most notable 00:08:13.959 --> 00:08:16.759 example is the village at Astellan in southeastern 00:08:16.759 --> 00:08:19.879 Wisconsin. This site shows strong influence for 00:08:19.879 --> 00:08:22.079 the Mississippian cultures centered in the south, 00:08:22.220 --> 00:08:25.480 characterized by large, truncated earthen pyramids 00:08:25.480 --> 00:08:27.980 and palisaded walls. So by the 17th century, 00:08:28.040 --> 00:08:30.240 when the French explorers first show up, who 00:08:30.240 --> 00:08:32.360 were the indigenous nations that controlled this 00:08:32.360 --> 00:08:34.820 diverse, well -established landscape? At the 00:08:34.820 --> 00:08:37.179 time of contact, the landscape was shared by 00:08:37.179 --> 00:08:40.279 several major groups. The Ho -Chunk, or Winnebago, 00:08:40.440 --> 00:08:43.159 who have lived in the region for centuries. The 00:08:43.159 --> 00:08:45.679 Menominee, known for their traditional rice harvesting. 00:08:46.330 --> 00:08:48.629 The Ojibwe, particularly up in the northern regions. 00:08:48.850 --> 00:08:50.450 And there were others who had migrated in, too. 00:08:50.690 --> 00:08:53.570 Yes. Other groups, including the Sauk, Meskwaki, 00:08:53.710 --> 00:08:57.070 or Fox, Kickapoo, and Potawatomi, had migrated 00:08:57.070 --> 00:08:59.789 into Wisconsin from areas further east, often 00:08:59.789 --> 00:09:01.950 displaced by conflicts like the Beaver Wars. 00:09:02.409 --> 00:09:05.470 So it was a diverse, politically intricate tapestry 00:09:05.470 --> 00:09:08.029 of nations long before the French ever arrived. 00:09:08.269 --> 00:09:10.610 So the French chapter opens in the 17th century, 00:09:10.710 --> 00:09:13.389 and their sole economic focus was the commodity 00:09:13.389 --> 00:09:16.279 that drove all European expansion. across the 00:09:16.279 --> 00:09:19.480 upper Midwest, fur. The fur trade was the single 00:09:19.480 --> 00:09:21.980 organizing principle of early European interaction. 00:09:22.580 --> 00:09:25.100 The earliest recorded Yurkian visit is widely 00:09:25.100 --> 00:09:28.200 attributed to Jean Nicolet in 1634. He landed 00:09:28.200 --> 00:09:29.899 near Green Bay, right? Traditionally believed 00:09:29.899 --> 00:09:32.379 to have landed near Green Bay at Red Banks. He 00:09:32.379 --> 00:09:34.279 was actually looking for a passage to China, 00:09:34.379 --> 00:09:37.080 but what he found was a ready supply of beaver 00:09:37.080 --> 00:09:39.779 pelts. And then later explorers like Radisson 00:09:39.779 --> 00:09:42.419 and Grossellier, they further opened up that 00:09:42.419 --> 00:09:45.769 trade network. They did. In the 1650s and 60s, 00:09:45.769 --> 00:09:48.549 Pierre Radisson and Medard de Grosselliers made 00:09:48.549 --> 00:09:51.450 multiple visits to both Green Bay and Chequemagan 00:09:51.450 --> 00:09:54.330 Bay on Lake Superior, establishing critical trade 00:09:54.330 --> 00:09:56.690 routes and partnerships. It was a relationship 00:09:56.690 --> 00:10:00.740 based on exchange. European goods for furs. The 00:10:00.740 --> 00:10:03.120 really critical moment for geographic understanding, 00:10:03.340 --> 00:10:05.820 though, was the discovery and mapping of the 00:10:05.820 --> 00:10:08.940 Fox -Wisconsin Waterway. Absolutely. The same 00:10:08.940 --> 00:10:10.779 Jacques Marquette who first recorded the name 00:10:10.779 --> 00:10:13.679 Mescousing, along with Louis Joliet, were the 00:10:13.679 --> 00:10:15.919 first to document their passage on this incredible 00:10:15.919 --> 00:10:19.379 highway in 1673. And this waterway connected 00:10:19.379 --> 00:10:21.200 the Great Lakes all the way to the Mississippi. 00:10:21.519 --> 00:10:23.980 All the way. It connected Lake Michigan via Green 00:10:23.980 --> 00:10:26.080 Bay to the Mississippi River near Prairie du 00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:28.779 Chien. It was the key to accessing the entire 00:10:28.779 --> 00:10:31.720 continental interior. So despite all this activity 00:10:31.720 --> 00:10:33.980 in the trading networks, the French didn't really 00:10:33.980 --> 00:10:36.259 build permanent settlements for almost a century. 00:10:36.379 --> 00:10:38.779 Why were they so transient? The French crown's 00:10:38.779 --> 00:10:41.960 priority was commerce and control, not necessarily 00:10:41.960 --> 00:10:45.519 mass colonization in this specific region. Traders 00:10:45.519 --> 00:10:48.539 like Nicolas Perrault established temporary wintering 00:10:48.539 --> 00:10:51.799 posts. But the men themselves were always mobile. 00:10:52.039 --> 00:10:54.620 And that changed after the French and Indian 00:10:54.620 --> 00:10:57.509 War. That changed only after the geopolitical 00:10:57.509 --> 00:10:59.950 landscape shifted dramatically when Great Britain 00:10:59.950 --> 00:11:02.789 defeated France, taking formal control of the 00:11:02.789 --> 00:11:07.110 territory in 1763. This is the moment everything 00:11:07.110 --> 00:11:10.590 pivots. So Britain now owns the territory, but 00:11:10.590 --> 00:11:12.590 that doesn't mean the French influence just vanished 00:11:12.590 --> 00:11:15.429 overnight. Far from it. Many French Canadians 00:11:15.429 --> 00:11:17.909 decided to stay in the territory rather than 00:11:17.909 --> 00:11:20.009 return to what was now British Canada. And this 00:11:20.009 --> 00:11:22.450 is how we get the first permanent European settler. 00:11:22.909 --> 00:11:25.110 This is how we identify Charles de Langlade. 00:11:25.370 --> 00:11:27.509 He had already established a trading post at 00:11:27.509 --> 00:11:30.669 Green Bay in 1745, but he moved there permanently 00:11:30.669 --> 00:11:34.129 in 1764, establishing a lasting Euro -American 00:11:34.129 --> 00:11:36.330 community. And there's a physical piece of history 00:11:36.330 --> 00:11:39.429 from that period still standing. We do. The tank 00:11:39.429 --> 00:11:42.549 cottage in Green Bay, which dates back to 1776, 00:11:42.889 --> 00:11:45.230 is recognized as the oldest standing building 00:11:45.230 --> 00:11:48.330 in Wisconsin. It's a direct architectural link 00:11:48.330 --> 00:11:51.129 to that era of French -Canadian settlement that 00:11:51.129 --> 00:11:53.309 persisted under British rule. I find this next 00:11:53.309 --> 00:11:56.330 insight so counterintuitive. The fur trade, the 00:11:56.330 --> 00:11:58.009 whole reason the French were there, actually 00:11:58.009 --> 00:12:00.450 reached its peak under British control. How did 00:12:00.450 --> 00:12:03.259 that happen? It really came down to policy and, 00:12:03.379 --> 00:12:06.080 well, bureaucracy. The French system had been 00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:08.720 very restrictive, limiting trade licenses to 00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:11.419 maintain control. The British, however, were 00:12:11.419 --> 00:12:14.799 keen on maximizing profit and, crucially, maintaining 00:12:14.799 --> 00:12:17.000 peace with the Native American nations who supplied 00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:19.779 the furs. So they adopted a much more liberal 00:12:19.779 --> 00:12:22.000 licensing policy. More competition, more trade. 00:12:22.120 --> 00:12:24.480 The surge in activity and competition led to 00:12:24.480 --> 00:12:27.500 the peak of the fur trade. Green Bay, or La Bay 00:12:27.500 --> 00:12:30.620 as the French called it, became a truly prosperous... 00:12:30.860 --> 00:12:33.460 isolated community. This region then became a 00:12:33.460 --> 00:12:36.080 U .S. possession after the revolution in 1783. 00:12:36.299 --> 00:12:38.659 But again, effective control was slow to come. 00:12:38.840 --> 00:12:42.519 It took the U .S. decades to assert full control, 00:12:42.659 --> 00:12:45.820 partly because of lingering British influence 00:12:45.820 --> 00:12:48.639 and partly just due to the vast distances. Right. 00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:51.659 But once the U .S. finally solidified its presence, 00:12:51.879 --> 00:12:54.779 the region rapidly moved through various territorial 00:12:54.779 --> 00:12:58.340 classifications until 1836, when the Wisconsin 00:12:58.340 --> 00:13:01.799 Territory was created. This American ascendancy 00:13:01.799 --> 00:13:04.419 marked a fundamental shift away from the fur 00:13:04.419 --> 00:13:06.940 trade and toward the next great economic driver, 00:13:07.220 --> 00:13:10.000 lead mining. And that transition from trading 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:12.039 furs to digging minerals is where we get to the 00:13:12.039 --> 00:13:14.299 foundation of Wisconsin's identity, specifically 00:13:14.299 --> 00:13:17.360 its most famous nickname. So let's explain the 00:13:17.360 --> 00:13:20.100 true, slightly rugged origin of the Badger State 00:13:20.100 --> 00:13:22.559 moniker. The nickname comes directly from the 00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:24.720 lead mining boom that started in the 1820s and 00:13:24.720 --> 00:13:27.340 early 1830s in the southwestern corner of the 00:13:27.340 --> 00:13:29.200 territory. Centered around places like Mineral 00:13:29.200 --> 00:13:32.029 Point and Dodgeville. Exactly. This was spurred 00:13:32.029 --> 00:13:33.870 by the American government seeking mineral resources 00:13:33.870 --> 00:13:36.529 and the promise of easy wealth through a massive 00:13:36.529 --> 00:13:39.330 rapid influx of immigrants, Americans from Illinois, 00:13:39.509 --> 00:13:41.629 Kentucky, and Missouri, and large numbers of 00:13:41.629 --> 00:13:44.090 Europeans. And these weren't people looking to 00:13:44.090 --> 00:13:46.590 build long -term homes. They were there for quick 00:13:46.590 --> 00:13:49.230 wealth. That's the critical insight. These miners 00:13:49.230 --> 00:13:52.029 arrived quickly and were focused intensely on 00:13:52.029 --> 00:13:55.429 extraction. They often lacked the time, the resources, 00:13:55.549 --> 00:13:58.669 or frankly, the money to construct proper above 00:13:58.669 --> 00:14:01.149 -ground housing, especially before the brutal 00:14:01.149 --> 00:14:03.210 upper Midwest winter set in. So what did they 00:14:03.210 --> 00:14:06.370 do? They improvised. They housed themselves by 00:14:06.370 --> 00:14:08.470 digging into the hillsides of very holes they 00:14:08.470 --> 00:14:11.149 were mining, and they used these shallow excavations 00:14:11.149 --> 00:14:13.409 as temporary shelter. They were burrowing into 00:14:13.409 --> 00:14:15.870 the earth. They were, quite literally, burrowing 00:14:15.870 --> 00:14:18.360 into the earth to survive the winter. This practice 00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:20.759 earned them the immediate and slightly derogatory 00:14:20.759 --> 00:14:23.559 nickname Badgers. They were living like the animals 00:14:23.559 --> 00:14:26.820 themselves. Yes, and the name stuck. It came 00:14:26.820 --> 00:14:28.919 to symbolize the resourcefulness and toughness 00:14:28.919 --> 00:14:32.019 of these early hardscrabble settlers. It became 00:14:32.019 --> 00:14:34.700 the state's unofficial identity long before the 00:14:34.700 --> 00:14:36.899 actual badger was adopted as the state animal 00:14:36.899 --> 00:14:39.820 in 1957. So the University of Wisconsin mascot 00:14:39.820 --> 00:14:43.429 is really a nod to these miners. It is. The university 00:14:43.429 --> 00:14:46.149 adopted the badger as its mascot back in 1889, 00:14:46.389 --> 00:14:49.370 recognizing this cultural origin. The nickname 00:14:49.370 --> 00:14:51.669 is a powerful reminder that Wisconsin's identity 00:14:51.669 --> 00:14:53.870 is founded on hard labor and resource extraction, 00:14:54.169 --> 00:14:57.200 not just charming wildlife. But this sudden massive 00:14:57.200 --> 00:15:00.340 influx of settlers driven by lead mining had 00:15:00.340 --> 00:15:04.360 immediate and catastrophic consequences for the 00:15:04.360 --> 00:15:06.039 Native American nations we talked about earlier. 00:15:06.220 --> 00:15:09.120 It created intense, violent tension. The relentless 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:11.799 push onto native lands, driven by the desire 00:15:11.799 --> 00:15:14.779 for mineral rights, culminated in two major armed 00:15:14.779 --> 00:15:18.240 conflicts. First, the Winnebago War in 1827. 00:15:18.500 --> 00:15:20.769 And then the Black Hawk War. And subsequently, 00:15:21.049 --> 00:15:23.590 the Black Hawk War of 1832, which is one of the 00:15:23.590 --> 00:15:25.330 most significant and consequential conflicts 00:15:25.330 --> 00:15:27.549 in Midwestern history. And it was devastating. 00:15:27.850 --> 00:15:30.269 It was. The war resulted in the complete and 00:15:30.269 --> 00:15:32.450 tragic forced removal of most Native American 00:15:32.450 --> 00:15:35.250 tribes, including the Sauk and Meskwaki from 00:15:35.250 --> 00:15:37.710 the vast majority of the territory. This period 00:15:37.710 --> 00:15:39.830 of conflict irrevocably shifted the demographic 00:15:39.830 --> 00:15:42.549 and political control of Wisconsin, paving the 00:15:42.549 --> 00:15:44.809 way for statehood. Let's shift away from history 00:15:44.809 --> 00:15:46.830 for a moment to the foundation upon which all 00:15:46.830 --> 00:15:50.230 of this rests, the geography. Wisconsin is so 00:15:50.230 --> 00:15:52.429 often simplified in the public imagination as 00:15:52.429 --> 00:15:55.549 just flat, endless farmland. But the reality 00:15:55.549 --> 00:15:59.350 is a vast, incredibly diverse and water -rich 00:15:59.350 --> 00:16:01.690 landscape. It's uniquely situated in the upper 00:16:01.690 --> 00:16:04.330 Midwest. It's perfectly positioned between the 00:16:04.330 --> 00:16:06.919 continent's largest freshwater bodies. the Great 00:16:06.919 --> 00:16:09.879 Lakes, and the continent's largest river system, 00:16:10.019 --> 00:16:12.440 the Mississippi. With extensive coastlines on 00:16:12.440 --> 00:16:15.080 both Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. Yes, exactly. 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:17.799 And when you talk about water -rich, the statistics 00:16:17.799 --> 00:16:19.679 are just staggering. How much water are we talking 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:23.320 about? Wisconsin has over 15 ,000 named lakes. 00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:26.559 That totals about 1 million acres of inland water 00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:30.059 surface. The largest is Lake Winnebago, a massive, 00:16:30.120 --> 00:16:32.200 shallow lake. And the rivers. That doesn't even 00:16:32.200 --> 00:16:34.970 account for the rivers. Over 12 ,000 named rivers 00:16:34.970 --> 00:16:37.450 and streams, stretching for an astonishing 84 00:16:37.450 --> 00:16:40.330 ,000 miles. Wow. That volume of water must mean 00:16:40.330 --> 00:16:42.809 its Great Lakes coastline is immense. It is truly 00:16:42.809 --> 00:16:44.769 immense. Wisconsin has the third longest Great 00:16:44.769 --> 00:16:47.450 Lakes coastline, exceeded only by Ontario and 00:16:47.450 --> 00:16:50.110 Michigan. It stretches over 800 miles. Which 00:16:50.110 --> 00:16:52.730 is absolutely central to its economy and history. 00:16:52.929 --> 00:16:55.590 Central to its ecology, economy, shipping, and, 00:16:55.610 --> 00:16:58.490 as we'll see, its industrial history, especially 00:16:58.490 --> 00:17:00.960 the paper industry. Geologically, the state is 00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:03.639 structured around five distinct regions. Can 00:17:03.639 --> 00:17:05.599 you give us a quick overview before we focus 00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:09.220 on the most unique one? Sure. Up north, you have 00:17:09.220 --> 00:17:12.589 the Lake Superior lowland. Moving south, the 00:17:12.589 --> 00:17:14.430 Northern Highland covers the bulk of the northern 00:17:14.430 --> 00:17:17.910 interior. It's rocky, forested, and contains 00:17:17.910 --> 00:17:20.549 the state's highest point, Timms Hill. Right. 00:17:20.690 --> 00:17:23.450 Below that is the Central Plain, which is flatter 00:17:23.450 --> 00:17:25.890 but known for its unique sandstone outcrops. 00:17:26.049 --> 00:17:28.289 Most of the population lives in the eastern ridges 00:17:28.289 --> 00:17:30.690 and lowlands in the southeast. And finally, the 00:17:30.690 --> 00:17:33.289 Western Upland, which contains that geological 00:17:33.289 --> 00:17:36.289 anomaly, the Driftless Area. The Western Upland 00:17:36.289 --> 00:17:38.410 is the key to understanding the state's most 00:17:38.410 --> 00:17:42.109 distinct topography. It is the core of the famed 00:17:42.109 --> 00:17:44.829 Driftless area, which is perhaps the most significant 00:17:44.829 --> 00:17:47.450 geological marker in the entire Midwest. And 00:17:47.450 --> 00:17:50.029 that term Driftless, why is it so important to 00:17:50.029 --> 00:17:52.869 its identity? That name is crucial. It means 00:17:52.869 --> 00:17:55.529 this entire region was strategically bypassed 00:17:55.529 --> 00:17:58.009 by the massive continental ice sheets during 00:17:58.009 --> 00:18:01.450 the last major glaciation, the Wisconsin glaciation. 00:18:01.509 --> 00:18:03.589 So the glaciers just went around it. They did. 00:18:04.190 --> 00:18:07.349 Glaciers act like immense bulldozers, flattening 00:18:07.349 --> 00:18:10.269 the landscape and depositing a huge mix of rocks 00:18:10.269 --> 00:18:13.309 and sediment known as drift. Because the glaciers 00:18:13.309 --> 00:18:16.210 split and flowed around this specific area, it 00:18:16.210 --> 00:18:18.329 remained untouched. So while the rest of the 00:18:18.329 --> 00:18:20.750 upper Midwest was flattened and scoured, the 00:18:20.750 --> 00:18:23.049 driftless area retained its ancient topography. 00:18:23.309 --> 00:18:25.309 What does that dramatic difference look like 00:18:25.309 --> 00:18:27.309 on the ground? It looks nothing like the flat 00:18:27.309 --> 00:18:29.670 plains we associate with the Midwest. It's a 00:18:29.670 --> 00:18:32.230 landscape of deep river valleys, steep rolling 00:18:32.230 --> 00:18:35.049 hillsides, and impressive bluffs carved deeply 00:18:35.049 --> 00:18:38.150 into sedimentary rock by millennia of water erosion. 00:18:38.390 --> 00:18:41.670 Rugged and dramatic. Very. It offers microclimates 00:18:41.670 --> 00:18:43.750 and ecological zones not found anywhere else, 00:18:43.829 --> 00:18:46.730 which leads to unique flora and fauna. And the 00:18:46.730 --> 00:18:49.049 famous geological formations must be remnants 00:18:49.049 --> 00:18:52.210 of this pre -glacial age. Absolutely. Within 00:18:52.210 --> 00:18:54.650 the Driftless area itself, you find features 00:18:54.650 --> 00:18:57.509 like the Baraboo Range, which are ancient quartzite 00:18:57.509 --> 00:19:00.650 hills that resisted erosion. And adjacent to 00:19:00.650 --> 00:19:03.250 it, in the central plain, you get the spectacular 00:19:03.250 --> 00:19:06.130 sandstone formations of the Dells of the Wisconsin 00:19:06.130 --> 00:19:08.529 River. The red sandstone from the beginning of 00:19:08.529 --> 00:19:11.390 our conversation. That's the one. These towering 00:19:11.390 --> 00:19:14.470 cliffs and narrow gorges were carved by the massive 00:19:14.470 --> 00:19:17.289 rush of meltwater around the glaciers, leaving 00:19:17.289 --> 00:19:20.250 behind this dramatic, unique geological architecture. 00:19:20.589 --> 00:19:22.450 It sounds like a landscape built for conservation. 00:19:22.549 --> 00:19:25.450 It is. The environment is highly valued, which 00:19:25.450 --> 00:19:27.710 is why, despite the state's reputation for farming, 00:19:27.890 --> 00:19:31.309 forests still cover 46 % of Wisconsin's total 00:19:31.309 --> 00:19:34.059 land area. And that includes the massive Chequamega 00:19:34.059 --> 00:19:36.140 -Nicollet National Forest. One and a half million 00:19:36.140 --> 00:19:38.180 acres. And speaking of conservation, we have 00:19:38.180 --> 00:19:40.400 to mention a very recent addition to its aquatic 00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:43.019 heritage. The new National Marine Sanctuary? 00:19:43.279 --> 00:19:46.259 Yes. The Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine 00:19:46.259 --> 00:19:49.099 Sanctuary was established in 2021 in Lake Michigan. 00:19:49.460 --> 00:19:51.980 It protects a large number of historically significant 00:19:51.980 --> 00:19:54.740 shipwrecks, recognizing the enormous commercial 00:19:54.740 --> 00:19:57.180 importance of the Great Lakes. That focus on 00:19:57.180 --> 00:20:00.079 the landscape, the lead, the forests, the soil, 00:20:00.200 --> 00:20:03.980 it leads us directly to the economy. And Wisconsin's 00:20:03.980 --> 00:20:06.220 economic identity wasn't fixed. It went through 00:20:06.220 --> 00:20:08.519 a series of rapid transformations in the 19th 00:20:08.519 --> 00:20:11.740 century. A very volatile period. After the lead 00:20:11.740 --> 00:20:14.440 mining boom declined, Wisconsin briefly became 00:20:14.440 --> 00:20:16.980 one of the US's leading producers of wheat. in 00:20:16.980 --> 00:20:20.200 the 1850s and 60s. At the same time, the northern 00:20:20.200 --> 00:20:22.440 highland was dominated by the highly profitable 00:20:22.440 --> 00:20:25.500 but equally destructive lumber industry. So you 00:20:25.500 --> 00:20:28.140 had intense agriculture in the south and massive 00:20:28.140 --> 00:20:31.039 deforestation in the north. This had to have 00:20:31.039 --> 00:20:33.059 created an environmental disaster by the late 00:20:33.059 --> 00:20:35.380 19th century. That is precisely what happened. 00:20:35.539 --> 00:20:38.119 The intensive wheat farming rapidly depleted 00:20:38.119 --> 00:20:40.740 the soil fertility, and the vast lumber industry 00:20:40.740 --> 00:20:42.759 stripped the state of its old -growth forests, 00:20:42.980 --> 00:20:46.289 leading to rapid soil erosion. By the 1890s, 00:20:46.289 --> 00:20:48.410 both industries were in rapid decline. And this 00:20:48.410 --> 00:20:51.009 environmental and economic crisis was the catalyst 00:20:51.009 --> 00:20:53.130 that forced the state to make its most famous 00:20:53.130 --> 00:20:56.130 pivot. OK, let's pause and analyze this crucial 00:20:56.130 --> 00:20:58.390 pivot. Yeah. How did farmers collectively decide 00:20:58.390 --> 00:21:00.450 to switch from grain to dairy? And what kind 00:21:00.450 --> 00:21:02.589 of institutional support did they get? The shift 00:21:02.589 --> 00:21:06.190 began in earnest in the 1890s. The depleted soil 00:21:06.190 --> 00:21:08.930 wasn't great for wheat anymore, but it was excellent 00:21:08.930 --> 00:21:12.589 for growing hay, alfalfa, and feed corn, perfect 00:21:12.589 --> 00:21:14.730 for feeding livestock. And this was supported 00:21:14.730 --> 00:21:17.910 by immigration. Strongly supported by the massive 00:21:17.910 --> 00:21:21.009 waves of European immigration, especially German 00:21:21.009 --> 00:21:23.589 and Scandinavian settlers, who brought with them 00:21:23.589 --> 00:21:26.130 deep traditions and expertise in cheese making 00:21:26.130 --> 00:21:28.700 and butter production. So the culture was already 00:21:28.700 --> 00:21:31.400 geared toward dairy, but the institutional backing 00:21:31.400 --> 00:21:34.359 was needed to standardize and optimize the industry. 00:21:34.640 --> 00:21:37.539 Absolutely. The cultural practice was fused with 00:21:37.539 --> 00:21:40.299 academic innovation. The development of the dairy 00:21:40.299 --> 00:21:42.740 industry was pioneered by scientists like Stephen 00:21:42.740 --> 00:21:45.960 Babcock at the University of Wisconsin. In 1890, 00:21:46.259 --> 00:21:48.980 he developed the famous Babcock test. Which let 00:21:48.980 --> 00:21:51.579 farmers measure the butterfat content in milk. 00:21:51.779 --> 00:21:54.390 Quickly and accurately, yes. which meant farmers 00:21:54.390 --> 00:21:56.609 could be paid based on the actual quality and 00:21:56.609 --> 00:21:59.069 richness of their product, which incentivized 00:21:59.069 --> 00:22:01.089 better production. And that really cemented the 00:22:01.089 --> 00:22:03.450 state's destiny. That combination of immigrant 00:22:03.450 --> 00:22:06.589 expertise, environmental necessity, and scientific 00:22:06.589 --> 00:22:09.990 backing did it. America's dairy land was officially 00:22:09.990 --> 00:22:13.529 adopted as the state's slogan in 1940. Today, 00:22:13.750 --> 00:22:16.309 Wisconsin leads the nation in cheese production, 00:22:16.630 --> 00:22:19.150 responsible for nearly a quarter of America's 00:22:19.150 --> 00:22:21.920 total output. And they take it seriously. I read 00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:23.940 they're the only state that requires licenses 00:22:23.940 --> 00:22:27.000 for cheese and butter makers. They are. It demonstrates 00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:29.400 the rigor and quality control they apply. That's 00:22:29.400 --> 00:22:32.359 a fascinating detail. But beyond cheese, the 00:22:32.359 --> 00:22:34.640 sources reveal Wisconsin is secretly dominant 00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:38.920 in some extremely specific niche crops. The diversity 00:22:38.920 --> 00:22:41.299 is surprising. Wisconsin is the nation's leading 00:22:41.299 --> 00:22:44.119 producer of cranberries, growing over half of 00:22:44.119 --> 00:22:46.259 the entire national crop. Because of the marshy 00:22:46.259 --> 00:22:48.640 soil in the central plain? Perfect for cranberry 00:22:48.640 --> 00:22:50.960 beds. And the other one is truly astonishing. 00:22:51.380 --> 00:22:54.000 Ginseng. Ginseng, indeed. Wisconsin produces 00:22:54.000 --> 00:22:56.859 an astonishing 97 % of the nation's ginseng, 00:22:56.920 --> 00:22:59.160 primarily grown in Marathon County. And it's 00:22:59.160 --> 00:23:01.599 shipped almost entirely to East Asia, where it's 00:23:01.599 --> 00:23:04.059 highly valued. It shows a deep adaptation of 00:23:04.059 --> 00:23:06.799 Wisconsin agriculture well beyond the dairy cow. 00:23:06.980 --> 00:23:08.839 Which is, of course, the official state domestic 00:23:08.839 --> 00:23:11.680 animal. Of course. While the dairy cow is the 00:23:11.680 --> 00:23:13.920 cultural symbol, the economy's backbone really 00:23:13.920 --> 00:23:16.779 remains manufacturing. The sources suggest the 00:23:16.779 --> 00:23:19.000 state has managed to maintain an impressive level 00:23:19.000 --> 00:23:21.759 of industrial employment despite national trends. 00:23:22.460 --> 00:23:25.500 Manufacturing remains incredibly robust. It still 00:23:25.500 --> 00:23:27.640 accounts for a massive share of the state's GDP, 00:23:27.819 --> 00:23:31.279 and the state has maintained about 500 ,000 manufacturing 00:23:31.279 --> 00:23:34.539 jobs, a figure very similar to its levels in 00:23:34.539 --> 00:23:37.960 the 1970s. Wow. This stability is largely due 00:23:37.960 --> 00:23:40.599 to the diversification and specialization of 00:23:40.599 --> 00:23:42.930 its heavy industry. Let's zoom in on the paper 00:23:42.930 --> 00:23:45.269 industry, which is highly concentrated in one 00:23:45.269 --> 00:23:48.650 specific water -rich corridor. Wisconsin is the 00:23:48.650 --> 00:23:50.910 undeniable national leader in paper production. 00:23:51.390 --> 00:23:54.170 And the geographical concentration is incredible. 00:23:54.569 --> 00:23:57.190 Along just a 39 -mile stretch of the Lower Fox 00:23:57.190 --> 00:23:59.730 River, which flows from Lake Winnebago to Green 00:23:59.730 --> 00:24:03.569 Bay, there are 24 paper mills. Wow. A clear reliance 00:24:03.569 --> 00:24:05.410 on those water resources. Which highlights both 00:24:05.410 --> 00:24:07.730 an economic strength and historically a significant 00:24:07.730 --> 00:24:10.369 environmental challenge due to industrial runoff. 00:24:10.490 --> 00:24:12.910 And beyond paper, what are the household names 00:24:12.910 --> 00:24:15.460 in heavy manufacturing? Wisconsin is home to 00:24:15.460 --> 00:24:18.200 major global players. In heavy equipment, you've 00:24:18.200 --> 00:24:21.039 got Rockwell Automation, Case IH, significant 00:24:21.039 --> 00:24:23.019 operations for Caterpillar, and of course, the 00:24:23.019 --> 00:24:24.980 most iconic brand associated with Milwaukee. 00:24:25.299 --> 00:24:27.079 Harley -Davidson. Harley -Davidson motorcycles. 00:24:27.559 --> 00:24:30.240 This concentration of heavy equipment and specialized 00:24:30.240 --> 00:24:32.940 manufacturing is key to maintaining that high 00:24:32.940 --> 00:24:35.059 employment figure. And on the consumer side, 00:24:35.339 --> 00:24:37.660 they've cornered the market on some recognizable 00:24:37.660 --> 00:24:41.420 food processing brands. Absolutely. Oscar Mayer 00:24:41.420 --> 00:24:43.559 is based here, along with Tombstone Frozen Pizza 00:24:43.559 --> 00:24:47.579 and Johnsonville Brats. And we can't forget Milwaukee's 00:24:47.579 --> 00:24:50.390 historical nickname. Brew City, home to giants 00:24:50.390 --> 00:24:53.990 like Miller, Pabst, Schlitz, and Blotz. Now, 00:24:54.069 --> 00:24:56.150 let's talk about the modernization of the economy, 00:24:56.329 --> 00:24:59.269 specifically that rapidly expanding high -tech 00:24:59.269 --> 00:25:01.609 healthcare sector. This is where the future growth 00:25:01.609 --> 00:25:04.990 lies. Wisconsin has become a major hub for developing 00:25:04.990 --> 00:25:07.109 and manufacturing high -tech healthcare devices 00:25:07.109 --> 00:25:10.329 and software, giants like GE Healthcare and Epic 00:25:10.329 --> 00:25:12.369 Systems. Epic is one of the largest electronic 00:25:12.369 --> 00:25:14.650 health record providers in the world. They are, 00:25:14.750 --> 00:25:16.980 and they're headquartered right here. Companies 00:25:16.980 --> 00:25:19.480 like Tomotherapy also drive innovation in radiation 00:25:19.480 --> 00:25:23.140 oncology. This shift shows a successful transition 00:25:23.140 --> 00:25:26.200 into high -value information technology and specialized 00:25:26.200 --> 00:25:29.160 services. Time to delve into the fun, distinct, 00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:31.900 and sometimes quirky aspects of Wisconsin culture, 00:25:32.180 --> 00:25:35.160 which are inseparable from its agricultural and 00:25:35.160 --> 00:25:38.299 immigrant history. Starting with cuisine, beyond 00:25:38.299 --> 00:25:40.980 just the volume of cheese, what are the state's 00:25:40.980 --> 00:25:43.759 unique dairy contributions? We have to highlight 00:25:43.759 --> 00:25:47.000 the specific cheese innovations. Colby cheese, 00:25:47.240 --> 00:25:49.940 a softer, moister version of cheddar, was first 00:25:49.940 --> 00:25:53.200 created in the town of Colby in 1885. And brick 00:25:53.200 --> 00:25:55.720 cheese, known for its strong aroma and semi -soft 00:25:55.720 --> 00:25:59.279 texture, was created in 1877. Notably, Wisconsin 00:25:59.279 --> 00:26:01.420 is home to the last place in the United States 00:26:01.420 --> 00:26:03.759 that still commercially produces Limburger cheese. 00:26:04.059 --> 00:26:06.880 The famously pungent one, and of course the obligatory 00:26:06.880 --> 00:26:09.480 appetizer at every restaurant, the fried cheese 00:26:09.480 --> 00:26:11.759 curd. The squeaky, battered, deep -fried cheese 00:26:11.759 --> 00:26:14.160 curd, often served at the side of ranch, is a 00:26:14.160 --> 00:26:16.980 state institution. But the food culture extends 00:26:16.980 --> 00:26:19.900 to specific regional traditions, heavily influenced 00:26:19.900 --> 00:26:22.240 by its location and immigration. Like the Friday 00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:25.519 night fish fry. Precisely. The Friday night fish 00:26:25.519 --> 00:26:28.440 fry is a quasi -religious tradition linked to 00:26:28.440 --> 00:26:30.359 the state's large Catholic immigrant population. 00:26:30.779 --> 00:26:33.940 It's usually battered perch, walleye, or cod. 00:26:34.200 --> 00:26:36.339 And up in Door County, they have the fish boil. 00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:39.900 A unique regional spectacle, the fish boil. where 00:26:39.900 --> 00:26:42.400 freshwater fish are boiled outdoors in a massive 00:26:42.400 --> 00:26:45.440 pot with potatoes and corn with a fiery flourish 00:26:45.440 --> 00:26:47.880 at the end. And the official state pastry isn't 00:26:47.880 --> 00:26:50.559 a cream puff. It's something Danish. That's right. 00:26:50.619 --> 00:26:53.279 The official state pastry is the kringle. This 00:26:53.279 --> 00:26:56.799 multi -layered, flaky, sweet pastry was brought 00:26:56.799 --> 00:26:59.319 by Danish immigrants, particularly to the Racine 00:26:59.319 --> 00:27:02.920 area. It became official in 2013. Now let's tackle 00:27:02.920 --> 00:27:05.119 the drinking culture. The sources make it clear 00:27:05.119 --> 00:27:07.000 the state has one of the highest measures of 00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:09.220 per capita alcohol consumption in the country. 00:27:09.380 --> 00:27:11.579 What's the context for that? The drinking culture 00:27:11.579 --> 00:27:14.200 is deeply woven into the German immigrant heritage, 00:27:14.420 --> 00:27:17.299 whose brewing traditions define Milwaukee for 00:27:17.299 --> 00:27:20.019 over a century. It's what you'd call a wet culture. 00:27:20.339 --> 00:27:22.960 Alcohol is widely accepted in social settings. 00:27:23.079 --> 00:27:25.440 So it's about frequency, not necessarily quantity 00:27:25.440 --> 00:27:28.269 per event. While Wisconsin ranks near the top 00:27:28.269 --> 00:27:30.890 for consumption and frequency, the key detail 00:27:30.890 --> 00:27:33.410 is that consumption per event is generally moderate. 00:27:34.029 --> 00:27:36.809 This suggests a pattern of frequent, social, 00:27:37.009 --> 00:27:39.589 but controlled drinking rather than binge behavior. 00:27:39.990 --> 00:27:42.529 It's a culture that supports the constant, low 00:27:42.529 --> 00:27:44.910 -level integration of alcohol into social life. 00:27:45.269 --> 00:27:47.609 And while the big breweries are national, the 00:27:47.609 --> 00:27:50.630 local craft scene has its own famous exclusivity. 00:27:50.869 --> 00:27:53.369 The craft beer movement is strong, but the most 00:27:53.369 --> 00:27:55.869 famous example is New Glarus Brewing Company. 00:27:56.200 --> 00:27:59.480 They are legendary for their Spotted Cow Farmhouse 00:27:59.480 --> 00:28:02.039 Ale, which is only sold within Wisconsin state 00:28:02.039 --> 00:28:04.200 lines. Which has created this cult following. 00:28:04.460 --> 00:28:07.400 And an immediate, tangible regional identity 00:28:07.400 --> 00:28:10.519 that outsiders just can't access. Finally, we 00:28:10.519 --> 00:28:12.140 have to look at architecture, because Wisconsin 00:28:12.140 --> 00:28:14.359 produced one of the most defining figures in 00:28:14.359 --> 00:28:16.480 American building history. That is Frank Lloyd 00:28:16.480 --> 00:28:18.599 Wright. He was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin, 00:28:18.980 --> 00:28:21.640 and was the pioneer of the Prairie School architectural 00:28:21.640 --> 00:28:24.779 style. Emphasizing those low horizontal lines 00:28:24.779 --> 00:28:27.059 that integrated buildings into the landscape. 00:28:27.279 --> 00:28:29.779 And the Usonian home concept, which aimed to 00:28:29.779 --> 00:28:32.920 provide high quality, simple and affordable housing 00:28:32.920 --> 00:28:35.400 for the middle class. I want to pause on that 00:28:35.400 --> 00:28:37.539 Usonian concept. What does that look like on 00:28:37.539 --> 00:28:39.630 the ground? Usonian homes were characterized 00:28:39.630 --> 00:28:43.390 by small, often L -shaped footprints built with 00:28:43.390 --> 00:28:45.990 natural materials, flat roofs, and open living 00:28:45.990 --> 00:28:48.910 spaces. They were designed to eliminate superfluous 00:28:48.910 --> 00:28:51.809 ornamentation and expense. The precursor to the 00:28:51.809 --> 00:28:54.609 modern ranch -style home. Essentially, yes. And 00:28:54.609 --> 00:28:57.190 Wright's deep influence is internationally recognized. 00:28:57.609 --> 00:28:59.890 His tele -essence studio and his Jacobs House 00:28:59.890 --> 00:29:03.549 in Madison are collectively a UNESCO World Heritage 00:29:03.549 --> 00:29:06.720 Site. That's tremendous global recognition. And 00:29:06.720 --> 00:29:09.259 yet Milwaukee also embraces radical contemporary 00:29:09.259 --> 00:29:12.400 architecture. It does. The Milwaukee Art Museum's 00:29:12.400 --> 00:29:14.980 Quadracci Pavilion is a stunning example of modern 00:29:14.980 --> 00:29:17.940 design by Santiago Calatrava. Its most famous 00:29:17.940 --> 00:29:20.359 feature is the Burke Brise Soleil. The massive 00:29:20.359 --> 00:29:22.980 wing -like sunscreen. A massive sunscreen that 00:29:22.980 --> 00:29:26.279 opens and closes daily. With a wingspan of 217 00:29:26.279 --> 00:29:28.380 feet, it dramatically alters the building's appearance, 00:29:28.700 --> 00:29:31.460 offering a sharp futuristic contrast to Wright's 00:29:31.460 --> 00:29:34.019 organic, earth -hugging designs. If Wisconsin 00:29:34.019 --> 00:29:36.920 is defined by anything, it is political intensity. 00:29:37.599 --> 00:29:40.160 It's not just a swing state now. It has been 00:29:40.160 --> 00:29:42.500 a laboratory for political movements and conflicts 00:29:42.500 --> 00:29:46.119 for over 150 years, often harboring intense, 00:29:46.380 --> 00:29:48.920 conflicting ideologies at the same time. That 00:29:48.920 --> 00:29:51.279 tension is the core narrative of modern Wisconsin. 00:29:51.880 --> 00:29:54.440 It is a state where the tradition of fierce debate 00:29:54.440 --> 00:29:56.859 and political innovation runs deeper than almost 00:29:56.859 --> 00:29:59.519 anywhere else. And we start that story in the 00:29:59.519 --> 00:30:02.799 1850s, driven by the escalating crisis over slavery. 00:30:03.339 --> 00:30:05.599 And this anti -slavery movement led directly 00:30:05.599 --> 00:30:07.920 to the formation of one of the nation's two major 00:30:07.920 --> 00:30:10.380 political parties. Absolutely. The modern Republican 00:30:10.380 --> 00:30:12.559 Party was founded right here in Ripon, Wisconsin, 00:30:12.839 --> 00:30:16.700 in 1854. Disgusted by the lack of organized opposition 00:30:16.700 --> 00:30:19.319 to the expansion of slavery, local activists 00:30:19.319 --> 00:30:21.339 held a meeting that led to the formation of the 00:30:21.339 --> 00:30:23.900 new party. An event that places Wisconsin right 00:30:23.900 --> 00:30:25.900 at the forefront of American political history. 00:30:26.039 --> 00:30:27.900 And following that, the state made a massive 00:30:27.900 --> 00:30:30.119 contribution to the union effort during the Civil 00:30:30.119 --> 00:30:33.660 War. A monumental contribution. Wisconsin sent 00:30:33.660 --> 00:30:36.720 around 91 ,000 troops, providing crucial manpower. 00:30:36.880 --> 00:30:38.920 This included three of the regiments that served 00:30:38.920 --> 00:30:41.039 in the famous Iron Brigade. And we should mention 00:30:41.039 --> 00:30:43.819 the famous mascot associated with the war effort. 00:30:43.880 --> 00:30:46.279 Yes, the 8th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment had 00:30:46.279 --> 00:30:48.319 one of the most celebrated mascots in military 00:30:48.319 --> 00:30:52.240 history. Old Abe, a captured bald eagle, who 00:30:52.240 --> 00:30:54.559 accompanied the regiment into battle. He became 00:30:54.559 --> 00:30:56.420 a powerful symbol of the state's commitment. 00:30:56.680 --> 00:30:59.420 So how could a state that birthed the anti -slavery 00:30:59.420 --> 00:31:02.500 Republican Party, the party of Lincoln, simultaneously 00:31:02.500 --> 00:31:06.359 incubate successful, pragmatic urban socialism 00:31:06.359 --> 00:31:09.319 decades later? How did those two forces coexist? 00:31:09.819 --> 00:31:12.119 That is the essential contradiction. And the 00:31:12.119 --> 00:31:14.940 factor that allowed them to coexist was the massive, 00:31:15.059 --> 00:31:18.000 politically engaged German immigrant population 00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:20.920 who are less focused on national issues and more 00:31:20.920 --> 00:31:23.160 focused on local economic justice and quality. 00:31:23.339 --> 00:31:25.740 Right. So the socialist movement took hold in 00:31:25.740 --> 00:31:28.559 Milwaukee. In the early 20th century, where German 00:31:28.559 --> 00:31:30.339 immigrants were concentrated in the industrial 00:31:30.339 --> 00:31:32.519 sector. And this movement earned the unusual 00:31:32.519 --> 00:31:35.400 name sewer socialism. I want to dig into that 00:31:35.400 --> 00:31:37.720 specific label. What made it sewer socialism? 00:31:38.099 --> 00:31:40.779 Sewer socialism was a term of self -identification. 00:31:41.000 --> 00:31:43.319 It distinguished Milwaukee's brand of socialism 00:31:43.319 --> 00:31:46.619 from the more radical revolutionary Marxist socialism 00:31:46.619 --> 00:31:48.980 emerging elsewhere. Their goal wasn't revolution. 00:31:49.359 --> 00:31:52.019 No, it's practical civic improvement. They focused 00:31:52.019 --> 00:31:55.140 on public works, building efficient city utilities 00:31:55.140 --> 00:31:58.460 like clean water, effective sewage systems, better 00:31:58.460 --> 00:32:01.759 public schools, and fighting corruption. They 00:32:01.759 --> 00:32:04.960 prioritized good, clean municipal governance. 00:32:05.319 --> 00:32:08.400 And this pragmatic approach led to success. It 00:32:08.400 --> 00:32:11.319 did. In 1910, Milwaukee elected Emil Seidel, 00:32:11.440 --> 00:32:13.720 the first socialist mayor of a large U .S. city. 00:32:14.190 --> 00:32:16.549 And he was followed by others, resulting in decades 00:32:16.549 --> 00:32:19.650 of progressive, functional, socialist -led city 00:32:19.650 --> 00:32:21.930 governance. That focus on pragmatic reform at 00:32:21.930 --> 00:32:24.150 the local level then transitioned to the state 00:32:24.150 --> 00:32:26.549 level and became perhaps Wisconsin's most enduring 00:32:26.549 --> 00:32:30.349 political legacy, the progressive movement, championed 00:32:30.349 --> 00:32:32.549 by Robert M. La Follette. Fighting Bob La Follette. 00:32:32.809 --> 00:32:34.710 He was initially a Republican, but he spearheaded 00:32:34.710 --> 00:32:36.670 a movement aimed at attacking corporate power 00:32:36.670 --> 00:32:39.130 and corruption. His goal was nothing less than 00:32:39.130 --> 00:32:41.650 democratizing the political process and modernizing 00:32:41.650 --> 00:32:43.789 government through scientific expertise. What 00:32:43.789 --> 00:32:46.289 were the key legislative achievements of the 00:32:46.289 --> 00:32:48.529 La Follette progressives that spread across the 00:32:48.529 --> 00:32:51.789 country? They pioneered critical reforms. Wisconsin 00:32:51.789 --> 00:32:54.390 was the first state to establish a comprehensive 00:32:54.390 --> 00:32:58.069 statewide primary election system, giving control 00:32:58.069 --> 00:33:01.789 over nominations to the voters, not party bosses. 00:33:02.049 --> 00:33:04.910 They passed the nation's first effective workplace 00:33:04.910 --> 00:33:08.329 injury compensation law, forcing industries to 00:33:08.329 --> 00:33:11.609 take responsibility for worker safety. And they 00:33:11.609 --> 00:33:15.029 enacted the state's first state income tax, making 00:33:15.029 --> 00:33:18.049 taxation proportional to earnings, a radical 00:33:18.049 --> 00:33:20.849 concept at the time. This whole philosophy that 00:33:20.849 --> 00:33:23.049 government should be led by experts and be responsive 00:33:23.049 --> 00:33:25.509 to the people, it culminated in the foundational 00:33:25.509 --> 00:33:28.849 concept known as the Wisconsin Idea. The Wisconsin 00:33:28.849 --> 00:33:31.509 Idea is the ultimate political trademark of the 00:33:31.509 --> 00:33:34.410 state. It encapsulated the concept that the boundaries 00:33:34.410 --> 00:33:36.210 of the university should be the boundaries of 00:33:36.210 --> 00:33:38.150 the state itself. So the University of Wisconsin 00:33:38.150 --> 00:33:41.089 system should serve the people directly. By directly 00:33:41.089 --> 00:33:43.710 integrating its academic and scientific expertise 00:33:43.710 --> 00:33:46.230 into public policy and government. I want to 00:33:46.230 --> 00:33:49.109 understand the mechanism here. How did this idea 00:33:49.109 --> 00:33:52.349 actually translate into policy? Did professors 00:33:52.349 --> 00:33:54.549 just wander over to the Capitol building? It 00:33:54.549 --> 00:33:57.589 was highly formalized. University experts served 00:33:57.589 --> 00:33:59.569 on state commissions and legislative drafting 00:33:59.569 --> 00:34:02.490 committees, providing rigorous research to inform 00:34:02.490 --> 00:34:05.609 new laws. It meant that when Wisconsin faced 00:34:05.609 --> 00:34:08.289 a problem, it leveraged the intellectual capital 00:34:08.289 --> 00:34:11.469 of its research institution to develop data -driven 00:34:11.469 --> 00:34:14.030 solutions. And those solutions didn't just stay 00:34:14.030 --> 00:34:16.369 in Madison. They became templates for the nation, 00:34:16.550 --> 00:34:19.250 especially in social safety nets. Unquestionably. 00:34:19.719 --> 00:34:22.739 Leveraging this mechanism, UW professors helped 00:34:22.739 --> 00:34:25.119 Wisconsin create the United States' first unemployment 00:34:25.119 --> 00:34:28.320 compensation program in 1932, well ahead of the 00:34:28.320 --> 00:34:30.199 federal government. And it influenced the New 00:34:30.199 --> 00:34:32.920 Deal. Profoundly. Scholars trained in the Wisconsin 00:34:32.920 --> 00:34:35.400 Idea philosophy were instrumental in drafting 00:34:35.400 --> 00:34:38.000 and implementing the New Deal's most significant 00:34:38.000 --> 00:34:40.679 piece of social legislation, the Social Security 00:34:40.679 --> 00:34:44.099 Act of 1935. It's genuinely hard to overstate 00:34:44.099 --> 00:34:47.300 how much national policy on taxation, workplace 00:34:47.300 --> 00:34:50.000 safety and the entire social safety net originated 00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:53.019 in this state's laboratory of democracy. It really 00:34:53.019 --> 00:34:56.059 is. But that same intense political climate also 00:34:56.059 --> 00:34:58.500 created serious divisions during World War One. 00:34:58.619 --> 00:35:01.860 That's a crucial historical moment. Because of 00:35:01.860 --> 00:35:04.219 the high proportion of German and Scandinavian 00:35:04.219 --> 00:35:07.119 immigrants and the progressive movement's skepticism 00:35:07.119 --> 00:35:09.800 toward overseas entanglements, Wisconsin was 00:35:09.800 --> 00:35:12.360 controversially labeled the traitor state by 00:35:12.360 --> 00:35:15.260 some aggressive patriots in 1917. But the state 00:35:15.260 --> 00:35:18.739 did mobilize. Fiercely. Despite that early skepticism, 00:35:18.960 --> 00:35:22.480 the state sent over 118 ,000 men into military 00:35:22.480 --> 00:35:25.019 service and was the first state to report for 00:35:25.019 --> 00:35:27.619 national drafts. Despite that powerful progressive 00:35:27.619 --> 00:35:30.639 legacy, the movement eventually declined. And 00:35:30.639 --> 00:35:32.940 that leads us to the other famous or perhaps 00:35:32.940 --> 00:35:35.579 infamous political figure of the mid 20th century. 00:35:35.659 --> 00:35:37.480 The decline is dramatically symbolized by the 00:35:37.480 --> 00:35:40.739 1946 Republican primary. Robert La Follette Jr., 00:35:40.739 --> 00:35:42.960 who had tried to sustain the movement, was narrowly 00:35:42.960 --> 00:35:44.860 defeated by an up -and -coming political figure 00:35:44.860 --> 00:35:47.659 named Joseph McCarthy. Wow. That primary loss 00:35:47.659 --> 00:35:49.679 ended the political dominance of the La Follette 00:35:49.679 --> 00:35:52.059 name and allowed McCarthy to gain the Senate 00:35:52.059 --> 00:35:54.420 seat from which he launched his destructive anti 00:35:54.420 --> 00:35:57.480 -communist crusades in the 1950s. And as the 00:35:57.480 --> 00:36:00.099 state moved into the 21st century, it became 00:36:00.099 --> 00:36:02.360 the definition of the American political swing 00:36:02.360 --> 00:36:05.280 state competitive at every level, often decided 00:36:05.280 --> 00:36:08.199 by less than 1%. It is the ultimate bellwether. 00:36:08.300 --> 00:36:10.679 Wisconsin is crucial in presidential elections, 00:36:10.980 --> 00:36:13.639 consistently producing tight, narrow results. 00:36:14.139 --> 00:36:17.619 In 2016, Donald Trump won the state by just 0 00:36:17.619 --> 00:36:22.139 .77%. Four years later, Joe Biden reclaimed it 00:36:22.139 --> 00:36:25.639 by an even narrower 0 .63 % margin. The margins 00:36:25.639 --> 00:36:28.380 are always razor thin. Always. And that competitive 00:36:28.380 --> 00:36:30.760 streak, according to our sources, intensified 00:36:30.760 --> 00:36:33.239 even further in the 2024 presidential election. 00:36:33.360 --> 00:36:35.309 What happened then? Donald Trump won Wisconsin 00:36:35.309 --> 00:36:39.090 again, but by just 0 .87%, a margin which, in 00:36:39.090 --> 00:36:41.570 a sign of the state's perpetual tightness, made 00:36:41.570 --> 00:36:43.449 it the state with the closest margin of victory 00:36:43.449 --> 00:36:46.079 in the entire presidential election. And historically, 00:36:46.280 --> 00:36:49.579 it's just perfectly balanced. It is. Since 1848, 00:36:49.760 --> 00:36:51.739 it's been won by Republican presidential candidates 00:36:51.739 --> 00:36:55.099 26 times and Democrats 18 times. It proves the 00:36:55.099 --> 00:36:57.260 long -term back -and -forth nature of its politics. 00:36:57.539 --> 00:36:59.639 The modern political conflict hasn't just been 00:36:59.639 --> 00:37:02.079 in federal elections. The state saw a massive 00:37:02.079 --> 00:37:04.280 polarizing controversy at the state level in 00:37:04.280 --> 00:37:06.940 2011. That was the Wisconsin Act 10 controversy. 00:37:07.340 --> 00:37:10.199 This was an act passed by the Republican -controlled 00:37:10.199 --> 00:37:13.079 legislature and signed by Governor Scott Walker 00:37:13.079 --> 00:37:15.539 that fundamentally altered the collective bargaining 00:37:15.539 --> 00:37:18.840 rights of most public sector employees. It dramatically 00:37:18.840 --> 00:37:21.820 limited the power of public unions. Yes. And 00:37:21.820 --> 00:37:25.400 the reaction was immediate and enormous. Massive 00:37:25.400 --> 00:37:27.380 protests at the state Capitol. Weeks of them. 00:37:27.719 --> 00:37:30.559 The contention was so severe that it led to a 00:37:30.559 --> 00:37:33.559 historic event. Governor Scott Walker faced a 00:37:33.559 --> 00:37:36.920 recall election in 2012, which he survived. He 00:37:36.920 --> 00:37:39.239 became the first governor in U .S. history to 00:37:39.239 --> 00:37:41.570 successfully survive a recall election. Beyond 00:37:41.570 --> 00:37:44.010 the drama of the recall, some political scientists 00:37:44.010 --> 00:37:47.250 have levied a serious structural criticism, classifying 00:37:47.250 --> 00:37:48.929 the state's governmental structure in recent 00:37:48.929 --> 00:37:52.210 years as something unusual. Yes. Based on academic 00:37:52.210 --> 00:37:54.349 analysis, some political scientists have gone 00:37:54.349 --> 00:37:57.230 so far as to classify Wisconsin as a hybrid regime. 00:37:57.750 --> 00:37:59.510 Now, we need to pause and understand what that 00:37:59.510 --> 00:38:02.409 means in this context. OK. The argument is that 00:38:02.409 --> 00:38:04.909 while elections themselves are free, the state 00:38:04.909 --> 00:38:07.550 has seen the implementation of extreme partisan 00:38:07.550 --> 00:38:10.840 gerrymanders in its legislative districts. So 00:38:10.840 --> 00:38:13.039 the critique is that the drawing of political 00:38:13.039 --> 00:38:16.719 maps entrenched one party's control beyond what 00:38:16.719 --> 00:38:19.039 the statewide popular vote would suggest. Exactly. 00:38:19.039 --> 00:38:21.820 The claim is that the mapping has been so effective 00:38:21.820 --> 00:38:24.400 that it essentially insulates the legislative 00:38:24.400 --> 00:38:27.800 body from the competitive swing state nature 00:38:27.800 --> 00:38:30.840 of the statewide popular vote. That's the explanation 00:38:30.840 --> 00:38:33.619 for the hybrid regime classification. It is. 00:38:33.719 --> 00:38:36.800 However, it is vital to note that this conflict 00:38:36.800 --> 00:38:39.389 led to legal action. And the Wisconsin Supreme 00:38:39.389 --> 00:38:42.349 Court did, in fact, overturn those legislative 00:38:42.349 --> 00:38:46.590 maps in a ruling in 2023, forcing new districts 00:38:46.590 --> 00:38:49.130 to be drawn. Before we move to our final thoughts, 00:38:49.210 --> 00:38:50.710 let's briefly look at the state's foundational 00:38:50.710 --> 00:38:53.070 structures, starting with education, which is 00:38:53.070 --> 00:38:55.769 obviously integral to the Wisconsin idea. The 00:38:55.769 --> 00:38:57.909 University of Wisconsin system is extensive and 00:38:57.909 --> 00:39:00.369 remains dedicated to that core principle. It 00:39:00.369 --> 00:39:02.929 includes the flagship institution, UW -Madison 00:39:02.929 --> 00:39:05.840 and UW -Milwaukee. both of which are classified 00:39:05.840 --> 00:39:08.820 as Tier 1 research universities. And that's supplemented 00:39:08.820 --> 00:39:12.039 by the technical college system. Yes, the 16 00:39:12.039 --> 00:39:15.079 -campus Wisconsin Technical College System, which 00:39:15.079 --> 00:39:17.639 awards two -year degrees and technical diplomas 00:39:17.639 --> 00:39:20.320 catering directly to the manufacturing and industrial 00:39:20.320 --> 00:39:23.719 workforce. Wisconsin also has some deeply rooted 00:39:23.719 --> 00:39:26.579 private institutions. It does. Carroll University 00:39:26.579 --> 00:39:30.039 was chartered in 1846, Wisconsin's first institution 00:39:30.039 --> 00:39:33.400 of higher education. Beloit College, also chartered 00:39:33.400 --> 00:39:35.500 that year, is the state's oldest continuously 00:39:35.500 --> 00:39:38.480 operated college. And Marquette. Marquette University 00:39:38.480 --> 00:39:40.860 is the largest private university by enrollment 00:39:40.860 --> 00:39:44.420 and made history in 1909 by becoming the world's 00:39:44.420 --> 00:39:47.800 first coeducational Catholic university. Finally, 00:39:47.820 --> 00:39:50.239 let's look at infrastructure. The state has a 00:39:50.239 --> 00:39:52.559 unique and highly specific funding mechanism 00:39:52.559 --> 00:39:55.159 for its transportation network. This is a great 00:39:55.159 --> 00:39:57.420 detail that speaks to a kind of fiscal conservatism 00:39:57.420 --> 00:40:00.320 and planning. Wisconsin is served by eight interstate 00:40:00.320 --> 00:40:02.360 highways, but the critical point is the transportation 00:40:02.360 --> 00:40:04.960 fund. Which is kept entirely separate from the 00:40:04.960 --> 00:40:07.179 state's general fund. Exactly. Revenues from 00:40:07.179 --> 00:40:09.780 transportation sources, gas taxes, vehicle registration 00:40:09.780 --> 00:40:12.639 fees are legally required to be used only on 00:40:12.639 --> 00:40:15.090 transportation infrastructure. So it's a dedicated, 00:40:15.250 --> 00:40:18.670 constitutionally separated fund designed to ensure 00:40:18.670 --> 00:40:21.050 infrastructure funding isn't rated for other 00:40:21.050 --> 00:40:23.349 state purposes. That is the political philosophy 00:40:23.349 --> 00:40:26.190 behind it. Ensuring reliable, dedicated funding 00:40:26.190 --> 00:40:29.210 for roads and bridges without being subject to 00:40:29.210 --> 00:40:31.389 the ebb and flow of the general budget process. 00:40:31.829 --> 00:40:34.409 And we should mention the state's deep history 00:40:34.409 --> 00:40:37.409 in motorsports, too. Yes, the heritage is immense. 00:40:37.650 --> 00:40:41.690 The Milwaukee Mile. An oval track opened in 1903 00:40:41.690 --> 00:40:44.489 and holds the distinction of being the oldest 00:40:44.489 --> 00:40:47.269 operating motorsports venue in the entire world. 00:40:47.690 --> 00:40:50.690 And down in Kenosha, you find the nation's oldest 00:40:50.690 --> 00:40:53.250 operating velodrome, which has hosted bicycle 00:40:53.250 --> 00:40:56.690 races every year since 1927. It underscores a 00:40:56.690 --> 00:40:59.250 deep, continuous commitment to engineering and 00:40:59.250 --> 00:41:01.920 speed. We have completed a comprehensive journey 00:41:01.920 --> 00:41:04.920 into Wisconsin today, moving well past the simple 00:41:04.920 --> 00:41:07.920 stereotypes of cheese and beer. We've seen a 00:41:07.920 --> 00:41:10.239 state defined by immense geological forces that 00:41:10.239 --> 00:41:12.400 left the driftless area untouched, a history 00:41:12.400 --> 00:41:14.659 of settlement dictated by the raw forces of the 00:41:14.659 --> 00:41:16.960 fur trade and lead mining, which gave us that 00:41:16.960 --> 00:41:19.780 badger nickname. And an economic identity forged 00:41:19.780 --> 00:41:22.139 by an environmental crisis that forced the pivot 00:41:22.139 --> 00:41:25.079 to dairy land. More profoundly, we've confirmed 00:41:25.079 --> 00:41:28.219 its status as a critical, enduring laboratory 00:41:28.219 --> 00:41:31.480 for American policy, hosting intense, contradictory 00:41:31.480 --> 00:41:34.199 political movements from the birth of the GOP 00:41:34.199 --> 00:41:37.369 to the success of urban socialism. And above 00:41:37.369 --> 00:41:40.090 all, we analyze the legacy of the progressive 00:41:40.090 --> 00:41:42.710 era and the implementation of the Wisconsin idea. 00:41:42.869 --> 00:41:45.110 Right. That educational philosophy, the idea 00:41:45.110 --> 00:41:47.050 that the university exists to serve the state 00:41:47.050 --> 00:41:48.349 through the direct application of intellectual 00:41:48.349 --> 00:41:51.429 capital. That was the mechanism that led directly 00:41:51.429 --> 00:41:53.869 to the development of crucial national structures 00:41:53.869 --> 00:41:56.550 like Social Security and unemployment compensation. 00:41:56.989 --> 00:41:59.369 This connection between rigorous inquiry and 00:41:59.369 --> 00:42:02.170 direct public service is the state's ultimate 00:42:02.170 --> 00:42:04.909 political trademark. Which brings us to our final 00:42:04.909 --> 00:42:08.420 provocative thought. Given how central the Wisconsin 00:42:08.420 --> 00:42:10.940 idea has been to the state's ability to innovate 00:42:10.940 --> 00:42:13.400 and lead utilizing the intellectual capital of 00:42:13.400 --> 00:42:15.699 its university system, we have to look at the 00:42:15.699 --> 00:42:17.900 recent challenges facing that system. We noted 00:42:17.900 --> 00:42:20.800 that since 2023, due to financial concerns and 00:42:20.800 --> 00:42:23.480 restructuring, five University of Wisconsin branch 00:42:23.480 --> 00:42:25.880 campuses have been closed and others have been 00:42:25.880 --> 00:42:29.119 significantly altered. A major shift. So if the 00:42:29.119 --> 00:42:31.539 foundation of policy innovation for the entire 00:42:31.539 --> 00:42:34.500 state The foundation of the Wisconsin idea itself 00:42:34.500 --> 00:42:37.239 is being eroded by the closure of these regional 00:42:37.239 --> 00:42:39.940 campuses that physically and intellectually connect 00:42:39.940 --> 00:42:42.199 the university directly to the people. Then the 00:42:42.199 --> 00:42:45.219 question becomes. In a state so reliant on quick, 00:42:45.300 --> 00:42:48.059 thorough knowledge for navigating complex political 00:42:48.059 --> 00:42:51.320 contests, demanding modern industries and maintaining 00:42:51.320 --> 00:42:53.760 a high standard of living, what impact will that 00:42:53.760 --> 00:42:56.280 erosion have on Wisconsin's ability to continue 00:42:56.280 --> 00:42:58.800 to lead the nation in policy and innovation moving 00:42:58.800 --> 00:43:01.849 forward? That is the pivotal question of Wisconsin's 00:43:01.849 --> 00:43:04.150 immediate future. We leave you with that thought. 00:43:04.289 --> 00:43:06.269 Thank you for joining us for this deep dive into 00:43:06.269 --> 00:43:06.849 the Badger State.