Residents of "Wisconsin" in the American Revolution
About the event...
In the 1770s, the majority of the permanent residents of what is now Wisconsin were the Native American nations. But the British had a great influence in the region because of the fur trade. Englishmen and French-speaking men traded at Green Bay and Prairie du Chien. Charles Langlade had permanently settled at Green Bay and been joined by Pierre Grignon. People from the Illinois Country and Montreal had begun to select land at Prairie du Chien.
But whether Native American or Euro-American, these residents were well-informed. When the Thirteen Colonies declared their independence from Great Britain, the residents of the western Great Lakes and upper Mississippi were involved in the resulting conflict from the Battle of Saratoga in 1777 to the attack on St. Louis in 1780.
Learn who, how, and why these residents were part of the American Revolution and the effects of the American Revolution on the residents of “Wisconsin.”
About the speaker...
Mary Elise Antoine was born and raised in Prairie du Chien. She is a graduate of Marquette University, Milwaukee and the State University of New York-Oneonta, with a MA in History Museum Studies.
Mary Elise has over 40 years professional experience working for history museums and in historic preservation. She was Curator of Collections and Research at Villa Louis, State Historic Site and National Historic Landmark, conducting the research that directed the restoration of the site. She is Past-President of the Prairie du Chien Historical Society and a member of the Board of the Historic Indian Agency House in Portage, Wisconsin.
Mary Elise has researched and written articles and books, which document cultural minorities in late 18th and early 19th century American society. These include The War of 1812 in Wisconsin: The Battle for Prairie du Chien; Frenchtown Chronicles of Prairie du Chien; Enslaved, Indentured, Free: Five Black Women in the Upper Mississippi and An Elegant Edifice: The Women Who Forged a Legacy at Villa Louis, all published by Wisconsin Historical Society Press. She also authored Frenchtown Cemetery-Old Catholic Burying Ground at Prairie du Chien, 1816-1840. She wrote two books on Prairie du Chien published by Arcadia Publishing.
Mary Elise continues her work at Villa Louis and in the museum field, research, and writing.
An America 250 Program!