Wisconsin is accepted into the Union

This week in Wisconsin history, President James Polk signed the bill accepting Wisconsin’s constitution, admitting Wisconsin into the Union on May 29, 1848. As the population in the state rose to over 130,000, statehood seemed inevitable. The people of the territory voted against statehood four times due to fear of a strong central government. But in 1848, citizens of Wisconsin finally voted for acceptance into the Union after seeing the prosperity the federal programs brought to the state.