[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 223 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 223

         Honoring the sesquicentennial of Wisconsin statehood.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 24, 1998

Mr. Sensenbrenner  (for himself, Mr. Obey, Mr. Petri, Mr. Kleczka, Mr. 
Klug, Mr. Barrett of Wisconsin, Mr. Neumann, Mr. Johnson of Wisconsin, 
and Mr. Kind) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
      referred to the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
         Honoring the sesquicentennial of Wisconsin statehood.

Whereas the land that comprises the State of Wisconsin has been home to numerous 
        Native American tribes for many years;
Whereas Jean Nicolet, who was the first known European to land in what was to 
        become Wisconsin, arrived on the shores of Green Bay in 1634;
Whereas Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet discovered the Mississippi 
        River, one of the principal waterways of North America, at Prairie du 
        Chien on June 17, 1673;
Whereas Charles de Langlade founded at Green Bay the first permanent European 
        settlement in Wisconsin in 1764;
Whereas, before becoming a State, Wisconsin existed under 3 flags, becoming part 
        of the British colonial territory under the Treaty of Paris in 1763, 
        part of the Province of Quebec under the Quebec Act of 1774, and a 
        territory of the United States under the Second Treaty of Paris in 1783;
Whereas, on July 3, 1836, the Wisconsin Territory was created from part of the 
        Northwest Territory with Henry Dodge as its first governor and Belmont 
        as its first capital;
Whereas the city of Madison was chosen as the Wisconsin Territory's permanent 
        capital in the fall of 1836 and construction of the Capitol Building 
        began in 1837;
Whereas, pursuant to legislation signed by President James K. Polk, Wisconsin 
        joined the United States as the 30th State on May 29, 1848;
Whereas members of Native American tribes have greatly contributed to the unique 
        culture and identity of Wisconsin by lending words from their languages 
        to the names of many places in the State and by sharing their customs 
        and beliefs with others who chose to make Wisconsin their home;
Whereas the Wisconsin State motto of ``Forward'' was adopted in 1851;
Whereas Chester Hazen built Wisconsin's first cheese factory in the town of 
        Ladoga in 1864, laying the groundwork for one of the State's biggest 
        industries;
Whereas Wisconsin established itself as a leader in recognizing the 
        contributions of African Americans by being the only State in the Union 
        to openly defy the Fugitive Slave Law;
Whereas the first recognized Flag Day celebration in the United States took 
        place at Stony Hill School in Waubeka, Wisconsin, on June 14, 1885;
Whereas Wisconsin has sent 859,489 of its sons and daughters to serve the United 
        States in the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World 
        War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, and Somalia;
Whereas 26,653 Wisconsinites lost their lives serving in the Armed Forces of the 
        United States;
Whereas Wisconsin allowed African Americans the right to vote as early as 1866 
        and adopted a public accommodation law as early as 1895;
Whereas on June 20, 1920, Wisconsin became the first State to adopt the 19th 
        amendment, granting women the right to vote;
Whereas in 1921 Wisconsin adopted a law establishing equal rights for women;
Whereas Wisconsin celebrated the centennial of its statehood on May 29, 1948;
Whereas many Wisconsinites have served the people of Wisconsin and the people of 
        the United States and have contributed to the common good in a variety 
        of capacities, from inventor to architect, from furniture maker to 
        cabinet member, from brewer to Nobel Prize winner;
Whereas the State of Wisconsin enjoys a diverse cultural, racial, and ethnic 
        heritage that mirrors that of the United States;
Whereas May 29, 1998, marks the 150th anniversary of Wisconsin statehood; and
Whereas a stamp commemorating Wisconsin's sesquicentennial will be issued by the 
        United States Postal Service on May 29, 1998: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) honors the proud history of Wisconsin statehood; and
            (2) encourages all Wisconsinites to reflect on the State's 
        distinguished past and look forward to the State's promising 
        future.

SEC. 2. TRANSMITTAL OF CONCURRENT RESOLUTION.

    The Congress directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to 
transmit a copy of this concurrent resolution to each member of the 
Wisconsin congressional delegation, the Governor of Wisconsin, the 
National Archives, the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, and the 
members of the Wisconsin Sesquicentennial Commission.
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