Wisconsin Has Always Been A Liberal State

     

     Wisconsin, despite the growing population of people in the state who would disagree, has always been a fundamentally liberal place. When brought into the nation as a state in 1848, it was a state that banned the institution of slavery. During the Civil War, Wisconsin provided nearly 100,000 men in 72 regiments to fight for the Union.

     In 1853, Wisconsin became the first state to abolish the death penalty. Only one man was ever executed in Wisconsin, John McCaffary, whose gruesome 20-minute hanging fueled the movement for abolition.

     During the late 1800s and early 1900s, Wisconsin was the launching pad of progressivism and even socialism nationwide. Emil Seidel was elected the first socialist mayor of Milwaukee and the U.S. in 1910, along with many alderman and judges. He created an eight-hour workday and a higher minimum wage, established among the best park systems in the U.S., and established the Milwaukee Area Technical College. Socialist Victor Berger was elected to Congress and served three terms after being released from jail for his opposition to World War One. Milwaukee mayor Daniel Hoan created the first public housing and the first public transport system in America and avocated many other public works. Frank Zeidler served until 1960 and established UW-Milwaukee. As governor, Robert M. La Follette implemented primary elections, tax reform, and other progressive ideals, and he later served as the presidential nominee for the Progressive Party, winning 1/6 of the vote. His son Philip became the governor, his son Junior became a senator, and his grandson Bronson became state attorney general.

     In 1982, Wisconsin became the first state to include sexual orientation in its hate crime laws, and, in 2013, became the first state to elect an openly-LGBTQIA+ senator, Tammy, Baldwin, who continues to serve today. Eau Claire, Milwaukee, Madison, Superior, Sheboygan, and other cities have banned therapy to try to "convert" gay minors, but a statewide ban was struck down by the state GOP. In 2019, the pride flag was flown above the state capitol in what became an annual tradition for Pride Month.

     Wisconsin's liberal history is colorful, relevant, undeniable, and something I am tremendously proud of.