Badger State History Trivia Quiz

Answer: Peshtigo

The Peshtigo Fire holds the distinction of being the deadliest fire in US history. The lowest estimated count of the dead is 1200, and some counts go as high as 2500. In several towns, all records were destroyed, making it hard to determine how many people died. The fire destroyed between 1.2 and 1.5 million acres of forest. The flames were so intense they jumped several miles across Green Bay. Deaths in the Great Chicago Fire are estimated at 200-300.

Answer: Bay View

The Bay View Massacre happened during the eight-hour day strikes that took place in May 1886. On May 5, 1886, a march of 14,000 strikers left Saint Stanislus church to head towards the Bay View Rolling Mill, the only factory still open in Milwaukee. Governor Jeremiah Rusk placed 250 national guardsmen around the church with orders to shoot to kill.

As the marchers approached, the national guard started firing, and seven people were killed. While the plant is long gone, the site remains at Superior Street and Russell Ave in Milwaukee. Every year in May, a memorial service is held.

The reason May Day is Labor Day in much of the world is to honor the efforts of US workers to win the eight-hour day in May of 1886.

Answer: Sherman Booth

Sherman Booth was an abolitionist newspaper editor. When Joshua Glover was arrested in Racine and taken to Milwaukee, the mayor of Racine deputized Booth to free Glover. Booth gathered a crowd of thousands, stormed the jail, and released Glover, who escaped on a boat to Canada.
Booth was tried by the US government for violating the Fugitive Slave Act. His case was a "cause celebre" in the 1850s. The Wisconsin State Supreme Court ruled the Fugitive Slave Act unconstitutional, but was overruled by a Supreme Court led by Roger Taney. Abelman vs Booth (62 US 506, 1859) established that state courts cannot overrule the decision of federal courts.
Garland was Glover's owner, Paine was Booth's attorney.
A plaque about the Glover rescue is located at Cathedral Square in Milwaukee.

Answer: 13

LaFollette received only 13 electoral votes, from his home state of Wisconsin. However, nationally, he and running mate Senator Burton Wheeler (Montana) received 4.8 million votes, 16.6 percent of total votes. Progressives ran very strongly in the upper Midwest (Minnesota, Dakotas) and West (Idaho, Nevada).
The Progressive Party faded as a national movement, but remained strong in Wisconsin. LaFollette's son, Phil, became Governor (1934-38) and Robert, Jr succeeded his father as Senator (1935-46). The party disbanded in 1946.
LaFollette's home in Maple Bluff (a suburb of Madison) is a National Historic Landmark.

Answer: Taliesin

Taliesin means "shining brow" in Welsh. Wright placed his studio on the brow of a hill. Wright lived at Taliesin from 1911 until his death in 1959. He would spend summers in Wisconsin and winters in Scottsdale, Arizona (He was a genius!)
Six of Wright's buildings in Wisconsin have been declared National Historical Landmarks: Taliesin itself, the SC Johnson Administration building in Racine, Herbert Johnson's home (Wingspread) in Wind Point, both the first and second homes of Herbert and Katharine Jacobs, and the First Unitarian Meeting House in Shorewood Hills.
Taliesin was a Welsh poet in the 6th century who wrote about (and for) kings.

Answer: Economics

Veblen was one of the leading economists of the early part of the 20th century. He was one of the founders of the field of Institutional Economics, which seeks to explore the role of institutions in shaping economic behavior. Veblen was a close associate of John R Commons, a professor of economics and history at the University of Wisconsin.
Veblen is best known for his "Theory of the Leisure Class" (1899), which explores consumerism and coined the phrase "conspicuous consumption."

Answer: Golda Meir

Golda Meir served as Prime Minister of Israel from 1969 to 1974, some of the most difficult years in Israel's history. Meir was known for her tough-as-nails politics, and was called "Iron Lady" years before Margaret Thatcher.
She was known as Golda Mabovitch in Milwaukee. After graduating valedictorian of Fourth Street (now named Golda Meir School), she attended North Division High School. Meir attended Milwaukee Normal School (which became UW-Milwaukee), studying to be a teacher. She married Morris Meyerson in 1917, and they moved to Israel in 1921.
Gaitan was president of Colombia, Mirza was president of Pakistan, Ikeda was Prime Minister of Japan.

Answer: Frontier Thesis

In 1893, Turner presented a paper called "The Significance of the Frontier in American History." Turner argued that the fact there was always a new frontier (new land) for Americans to explore was a driving factor in the shaping of American character. Turner's thesis would shape most debate over US History for the next century. It would also shape history itself, as politicians from Theodore Roosevelt to John Kennedy sought to expand the American "frontier."

Answer: Ripon

Opponents of slavery met at the school house on February 28, 1854 and formed what would become the Republican Party. In July 1854, Republicans met again in Jackson, Michigan. Exeter, NH and Crawfordsville, Iowa also lay claim to being the birthplace of the Republican party.
According to the 2000 census, Ripon had 6800 residents. The town is named after Ripon in North Yorkshire, England, and is located in Fond du Lac County. Wisconsin has a Jackson and an Exeter, but not a Crawfordsville.
The first Republican candidate for President was John C Fremont of California in 1856. The first successful Republican candidate for President was Abraham Lincoln in 1860.

Answer: Black Hawk

Black Hawk (1767-1838) was the leader of "The British Band," a group of roughly 1500 made up of members of the Sauk, Fox, Kickapoo, Ho-Chunk and Pottawottami nations. The first skirmish took place at the Battle of Stillman's Run in Illinois. The final defeat of Black Hawk happened at the Battle of Bad Axe on August 1-2, 1832. Most modern historians call Bad Axe a massacre, with over 150 Native American casualties to only 5 US casualties.
Future presidents Zachary Taylor and Abraham Lincoln served in the Black Hawk War, as did Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
Blackhawk's Sauk name was Makataimeshekiakiak. The chief is remembered in many ways, including the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team and the UH-60 helicopters of the US military. There is a monument to the Battle of Bad Axe near Victory, Wisconsin in Vernon County.
Red Bird was from Wisconsin. He fought in the Winnebago Wars and died in 1828.