The Fifth Legislative Assembly of the

Wisconsin Territory The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized and incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belm ...

convened from , to , and from , to , in regular session. The Assembly also convened in special session from October 18, 1847, to October 27, 1847, to organize a second constitutional convention after the failure to adopt the first

Wisconsin Constitution The Constitution of the State of Wisconsin is the governing document of the U.S. State of Wisconsin. It establishes the structure and function of state government, describes the state boundaries, and declares the rights of state citizens. The ...

. During this Assembly term, Wisconsin was attempting to achieve

statehood A state is a political entity that regulates society and the population within a definite territory. Government is considered to form the fundamental apparatus of contemporary states. A country often has a single state, with various administrat ...

. A constitution was drafted at a convention in the Fall of 1846 and was put to the voters at the spring election held April 6, 1847. The voters overwhelmingly rejected this document. New delegates were elected at a

special election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...

held November 29, 1847, and a new constitution was drafted that Winter. The new constitution was approved by the voters on March 13, 1848.

Major events

* March 29, 1847: United States forces under General

Winfield Scott Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as Commanding General of the United States Army from 1841 to 1861, and was a veteran of the War of 1812, American Indian Wars, Mexica ...

took

Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...

after a siege. * April 6, 1847: Wisconsin Territory voters rejected the 1st Constitution of Wisconsin. * September 14, 1847: United States forces under General

entered

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

, marking the end of organized Mexican resistance. * December 15, 1847February 1, 1848: The second Wisconsin constitutional convention was held in Madison, Wisconsin Territory. * January 24, 1848: James W. Marshall found

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

Sutter's Mill Sutter's Mill was a water-powered sawmill on the bank of the South Fork American River in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in California. It was named after its owner John Sutter. A worker constructing the mill, James W. Marshall, found go ...

, in

Coloma, California Coloma (Nisenan language, Nisenan: ''Cullumah'', meaning "beautiful") is a census-designated place in El Dorado County, California, United States. It is approximately northeast of Sacramento, California. Coloma is most noted for being the site ...

, setting off the

California Gold Rush The California gold rush (1848–1855) began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the U ...

. * January 31, 1848: Construction of the

Washington Monument The Washington Monument is an obelisk on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father of the United States, victorious commander-in-chief of the Continen ...

began in Washington, D.C. * February 2, 1848: The

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo officially ended the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). It was signed on 2 February 1848 in the town of Villa de Guadalupe, Mexico City, Guadalupe Hidalgo. After the defeat of its army and the fall of the cap ...

ended the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

. * February 22February 24, 1848: Riots in Paris forced the abdication of King

Louis Philippe I Louis Philippe I (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850), nicknamed the Citizen King, was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, the penultimate monarch of France, and the last French monarch to bear the title "King". He abdicated from his throne ...

and the resignation of Prime Minister

François Guizot François Pierre Guillaume Guizot (; 4 October 1787 – 12 September 1874) was a French historian, orator and Politician, statesman. Guizot was a dominant figure in French politics between the July Revolution, Revolution of 1830 and the Revoluti ...

in the

French Revolution of 1848 The French Revolution of 1848 (), also known as the February Revolution (), was a period of civil unrest in France, in February 1848, that led to the collapse of the July Monarchy and the foundation of the French Second Republic. It sparked t ...

. * March 13, 1848: Wisconsin Territory voters ratified the 2nd

Constitution of Wisconsin The Constitution of the State of Wisconsin is the governing document of the U.S. State of Wisconsin. It establishes the structure and function of state government, describes the state boundaries, and declares the rights of state citizens. The ...

. * March 15, 1848: Mass protests in Pest forced the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...

to accept Hungarian claims of self-determination in the

Hungarian Revolution of 1848 The Hungarian Revolution of 1848, also known in Hungary as Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence of 1848–1849 () was one of many Revolutions of 1848, European Revolutions of 1848 and was closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in ...

. * March 18, 1848: Hundreds were killed in a protest in Berlin associated with the

German revolutions of 1848–1849 The German revolutions of 1848–1849 (), the opening phase of which was also called the March Revolution (), were initially part of the Revolutions of 1848 that broke out in many European countries. They were a series of loosely coordinated p ...

. * May 29, 1848: Wisconsin was admitted to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

as the 30th U.S. state.

Major legislation

* January 14, 1847: An Act to incorporate the Lawrence Institute of Wisconsin. * February 4, 1847: An Act to incorporate the

Nashotah House Nashotah House is an Anglican seminary in Nashotah, Wisconsin. The seminary opened in 1842 and received its official charter in 1847. The institution is independent and generally regarded as one of the more theologically conservative seminaries ...

. * October 27, 1847: An Act in relation to the formation of a State Government in Wisconsin, and to change the time for holding the annual session of the Legislature.

Sessions

* 1st session: January 4, 1847February 11, 1847 * Special session: October 18, 1847October 27, 1847 * 2nd session: February 7, 1848March 13, 1848

Leadership

Council President

* Horatio Wells ( D) – during all three sessions

Speaker of the House of Representatives

* William Shew ( D) – during 1st session *

Isaac P. Walker Isaac Pigeon Walker (November 2, 1815March 29, 1872) was an American lawyer, Democratic politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was one of Wisconsin's first , serving from 1848 through 1855. In the Senate, he was best known for his support of rad ...

( D) – during the special session * Timothy Burns ( D) – during 2nd session

Members

Members of the Council

Members of the Council for the Fifth Wisconsin Territorial Assembly:

Members of the House of Representatives

Members of the House of Representatives for the Fifth Wisconsin Territorial Assembly:

Employees

Council employees

* Secretary: ** Thomas McHugh, all sessions * Sergeant-at-Arms: ** John Bevins, 1st session ** Edward P. Lockhart, special & 2nd sessions

House employees

* Chief Clerk: ** La Fayette Kellogg, all sessions * Sergeant-at-Arms: ** E. R. Hugunin, 1st & special sessions ** John Mullanphy, 2nd session

Notes

References

External links

Wisconsin Legislature website
{{Wisconsin legislatures 1846 in Wisconsin Territory 1847 in Wisconsin Territory 1848 in Wisconsin 1840s in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

Wisconsin legislative sessions