Wisconsin History Day By Day

Related Web Sites:
Wisconsin Capitols

John L's Old Maps


Read More About It

"History of the Territory of Wisconsin from 1836-1848" by Moses McCure Strong

"Wisconsin Territorial Days" by the Wisconsin Historical Society


Vocabulary:

territorial
capitol


Interesting Fact:

Territorial legislators had used the Burlington capitol for only five weeks before it burned down.


Study Questions:

  • Locate Burlington, Iowa, on a map.
  • Why did the officials move the territorial capital from Belmont to Burlington?
  • What are the definitions of the words capital and capitol?


    U.S. historical events that occurred on December 12:

    1787: Pennsylvania becomes the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
    1870: Joseph H. Rainey, South Carolina, take his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives as the first black member of Congress.



    • December 12

    December 12, 1837: The Wisconsin territorial capitol in Burlington (in what is now Iowa) was destroyed by fire on Dec. 12, 1837. While the capitol in Madison was being constructed in 1837, territorial legislators agreed to move the capital from Belmont to Burlington. After the fire, the Legislature moved to the Webber and Remey's Store in Burlington to conduct business.

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