Wisconsin area had role in 1776 events

     In 1776 the Wisconsin area was separated from the 13 original stated by several weeks of travel. Nevertheless, the American Revolution affected traders and Indians here, and some Revolutionary War events determined the nature of subsequent population migrations to Wisconsin Territory.
     Interaction between the Eastern Seaboard area and the land west of Lake Michigan had begun in the 17th century. Indians and traders from his area had fought for the French, participating in forays eastern before and during the French and Indian War of 1756-63.
     Following England's victory over France and acquisition of land west of the Mississippi River, the British government issued the Proclamation of 1763, forbidding western settlement, and passed the Quebec Act, assigning a large area - including what is now Wisconsin - to Quebec.
     During the Revolutionary War, traders and Indians led by Charles de Langlade went east to assist the British in three successive years, and some of them were with Gen. John Burgoyne during part of his 1777 campaign.
     James Stanley Goddard, a British officer in what is known as the Carver Expedition that canoed through the Eau Claire area in 1767, led in recruiting of Indians for the first of Langlade's three campaigns. Goddard's activities were in the spring and early summer of 1776, just 200 years ago.
     Charles Gautier, a voyager on the Carver Expedition, did much of the recruiting for Langlade's 1777 and 1778 campaigns. From the English viewpoint this recruiting was costly, requiring appropriations for gifts to the Indians, diverting people and resources from the fur trade and further angering colonists.
     British-inspired Indian attacks on the frontier resulted in George Rogers Clark's 1778 expedition. Indians from the Wisconsin area attended the council meeting called by Clark and later were impressed by Clark's capture of Vincennes from the British.
     During 1780, many Indians under chiefs such as Matchekewis and Wabasha, joined British soldiers and traders in a campaign to capture Clark and at the same time seize the Spanish city of St. Louis.
     These British-led forces passed through or near what is now Wisconsin on their way to the St. Louis area. Some Milwaukee-area Indians declined to fight against the Americans and Spanish in that campaign, and later many of these Milwaukee Indians cooperated with the Spanish in frontier hostilities against the British.
     Another colonial response to the British-inspired Indian attacks affected Wisconsin's future. As a result of British policies, some Iroquois Indians attacked in areas such as the Cherry and Wyoming valleys.
     To protect the frontier, Gen. George Washington sent an expedition under Gen. Sullivan which weakened Iroquois strongholds, opening the upper Mohawk and Genessee and Oswego River Valleys to settlement.
     When this upstate New York area was settled, may of the pioneers moved from New England. Descendants of these people, known as "York State Yankees" or "Yankees of the Lake," came to Wisconsin Territory in the 1830's and 1840's, dominating this area and exerting a major influence on writing Wisconsin's constitution.
     When the Revolutionary War ended, peace treaty provisions included Wisconsin in the new United States and determined Wisconsin's Lake Superior boundary.
     The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 was soon enacted. It both guaranteed Wisconsin's future statehood and determined structure of territorial governments until 1848. Despite several weeks of travel time separating Wisconsin from rebelling colonies, relationships of Revolutionary War events to Wisconsin history are numerous and worthy of studying during this bicentennial year.

-- Edward C. Blackorby, UW-EC History Department

Extracted from the Eau Claire Leader Telegram
Special Publication, Our Story 'The Chippewa Valley and Beyond', published 1976
Used with permission.