Wisconsin (IPA pronunciation: ) is a state in the United States, located in the Midwest. The rural economy was originally based on furs, then came lumber, farming, dairy, and vacationing. Industrialization began in the late 19th century in the southeast, with Milwaukee as the major center. In recent decades service industries, especially medicine and education, have become dominant.

The state has always been ethnically heterogeneous. The Yankees arrived first and long dominated industry, finance, politics and education. Large numbers of Germans arrived between 1850 and 1900, centering in Milwaukee, but also settling in many small cities and farm areas in the southeast. Scandinavians settled in lumbering and farming areas in the northwest. Small colonies of Belgians, Swiss, Finns and other groups came to the state. Irish Catholics mostly came to the cities. After 1900, Polish immigrants came to Milwaukee, followed by African Americans from 1940 on.

Politically, the state was a Republican stronghold that supported the Union during the Civil War. Ethnoreligious issues regarding schools split the Republican coalition briefly in 1890. From 1900 to the 1940s, Robert La Follette and his sons dominated state politics using the Republican Party and then their own Progressive Party. Since 1945, the state has maintained a close balance between the Republicans and Democrats. The Republicans put forth conservative-to-moderate Governor Tommy Thompson in the 1980s and 1990s, while the Democrats have produced liberal Senator Russ Feingold in the 2000s. Conant ch 1; Barone and Cohen; Pearce

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@Molly23 Hey Molly, I'm going to start a rumor that you flew to Wisconsin and then off back to Washington carrying my love child. That cool?
JonPhillips_42 (JonPhillips_42) Fri, 08 Jan 2010 07:02:09 -0000
@Molly23 Hey Molly, I'm going to start a rumor that you flew to Wisconsin and then off back to Washington carrying my love child. That cool?
3 More H1N1-Related Deaths Reported In Wisconsin http://tinyurl.com/y9ku2sx #influenza #milwaukee #wi
SwineFluNewsUSA (Ken Wright) Fri, 08 Jan 2010 07:00:13 -0000
3 More H1N1-Related Deaths Reported In Wisconsin http://tinyurl.com/y9ku2sx #influenza #milwaukee #wi
Wojta leads Wisconsin-Green Bay (AP)http://bit.ly/78g1Wc
nancy19087 (Nancy Uberoth) Fri, 08 Jan 2010 06:59:59 -0000
Wojta leads Wisconsin-Green Bay (AP)http://bit.ly/78g1Wc
Just in case you missed it ... http://bit.ly/7f4LnL #wisconsin #badgers
badgersff (Badgers on FanFeedr) Fri, 08 Jan 2010 06:57:33 -0000
Just in case you missed it ... http://bit.ly/7f4LnL #wisconsin #badgers
Wisconsin Real Estate Contracts http://bit.ly/7p22Pi 492
legalformseasy (Legal Forms) Fri, 08 Jan 2010 06:55:01 -0000
Wisconsin Real Estate Contracts http://bit.ly/7p22Pi 492
#Badgers Purdue's Painter not surprised by Wisconsin's success - News Sentinel http://url4.eu/14g4z
badgerillustrtd (Badger Illustrated) Fri, 08 Jan 2010 06:54:11 -0000
#Badgers Purdue's Painter not surprised by Wisconsin's success - News Sentinel http://url4.eu/14g4z

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