The Fifth Legislative Assembly of the Wisconsin Territory convened from January 4, 1847, to February 11, 1847, and from February 7, 1848, to March 13, 1848, 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.[1][2][3][4]
| 5th Wisconsin Territorial Assembly | |||||
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 Wisconsin State Capitol, 1855 | |||||
| Overview | |||||
| Legislative body | Legislative Assembly of the Wisconsin Territory | ||||
| Meeting place | Capitol Building, Madison | ||||
| Term | January 4, 1847 – May 29, 1848 | ||||
| Election |
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| Council | |||||
| Members | 13 | ||||
| President | Horatio Wells (D) | ||||
| Party control | Democratic | ||||
| House of Representatives | |||||
| Members | 26 | ||||
| Speaker |
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| Party control | Democratic | ||||
| Sessions | |||||
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| Special sessions | |||||
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During this Assembly term, Wisconsin was attempting to achieve statehood. 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.[5] New delegates were elected at a special election held November 29, 1847, and a new constitution was drafted that Winter. The new constitution was approved by the voters on March 13, 1848.[6]
Major events
edit- March 29, 1847: United States forces under General Winfield Scott took Veracruz after a siege.
- April 6, 1847: Wisconsin Territory voters rejected the 1st Constitution of Wisconsin.
- September 14, 1847: United States forces under General Winfield Scott entered Mexico City, marking the end of organized Mexican resistance.
- December 15, 1847 – February 1, 1848: The second Wisconsin constitutional convention was held in Madison, Wisconsin Territory.[1]
- January 24, 1848: James W. Marshall found gold at Sutter's Mill, in Coloma, California, setting off the California Gold Rush.
- January 31, 1848: Construction of the Washington Monument began in Washington, D.C.
- February 2, 1848: The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican–American War.
- February 22 – February 24, 1848: Riots in Paris forced the abdication of King Louis Philippe I and the resignation of Prime Minister François Guizot in the French Revolution of 1848.
- March 13, 1848: Wisconsin Territory voters ratified the 2nd Constitution of Wisconsin.
- March 15, 1848: Mass protests in Pest forced the Austrian Empire to accept Hungarian claims of self-determination in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848.
- March 18, 1848: Hundreds were killed in a protest in Berlin associated with the German revolutions of 1848–1849.
- May 29, 1848: Wisconsin was admitted to the United States as the 30th U.S. state.
Major legislation
edit- January 14, 1847: An Act to incorporate the Lawrence Institute of Wisconsin.[2]: 5–8
- February 4, 1847: An Act to incorporate the Nashotah House.[2]: 53–55
- 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.[3]: 3–11
Sessions
edit- 1st session: January 4, 1847 – February 11, 1847
- Special session: October 18, 1847 – October 27, 1847
- 2nd session: February 7, 1848 – March 13, 1848
Leadership
editCouncil President
edit- Horatio Wells (D) – during all three sessions
Speaker of the House of Representatives
edit- William Shew (D) – during 1st session
- Isaac P. Walker (D) – during the special session
- Timothy Burns (D) – during 2nd session
Members
editMembers of the Council
editMembers of the Council for the Fifth Wisconsin Territorial Assembly:
| Counties | Councillor | Session(s) | Party | ||
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| 1st | Spec. | 2nd | |||
| Brown, Calumet, Columbia, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Marquette, Portage, & Winnebago | Mason C. Darling | 
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Dem. |
| Crawford, Chippewa, La Pointe, & St. Croix | Benjamin F. Manahan |
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Dem. |
| Dane, Green, & Sauk | Alexander L. Collins |
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Whig |
| Dodge & Jefferson | John E. Holmes |
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Dem. |
| Grant | Orris McCartney |
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| Iowa, Lafayette, & Richland | William Singer |
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| Ninian E. Whiteside |
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Dem. | ||
| Milwaukee | Horation N. Wells |
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Dem. |
| Racine | Frederick S. Lovell |
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Dem. |
| Marshall Strong |
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Dem. | |||
| Philo White |
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Dem. | ||
| Rock | Andrew Palmer |
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Dem. |
| Sheboygan & Washington | Chauncey M. Phelps |
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Dem. |
| Walworth | Henry Clark |
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| Waukesha | Joseph Turner |
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Dem. |
Members of the House of Representatives
editMembers of the House of Representatives for the Fifth Wisconsin Territorial Assembly:
Employees
editCouncil employees
edit- Secretary:[1]
- Thomas McHugh, all sessions
- Sergeant-at-Arms:
- John Bevins, 1st session
- Edward P. Lockhart, special & 2nd sessions
House employees
edit- Chief Clerk:[1]
- La Fayette Kellogg, all sessions
- Sergeant-at-Arms:
- E. R. Hugunin, 1st & special sessions
- John Mullanphy, 2nd session
Notes
edit- ^ Resigned in protest February 25, 1848.
References
edit- ^ a b c d Heg, J. E., ed. (1882). "Annals of the Legislature" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 172–174. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ a b c Laws of the Territory of Wisconsin passed at the annual session of the Legislature. Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Territory. 1847. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ a b Laws of Wisconsin Territory passed at the Special Session of the Legislative Assembly. Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Territory. 1847. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ Laws of Wisconsin Territory passed by the Legislative Assembly. Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Territory. 1848. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ "Honor to Wisconsin!". Milwaukee Sentinel. April 13, 1847. p. 2. Retrieved August 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "The New Constitution". The Weekly Wisconsin. March 22, 1848. p. 1. Retrieved August 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.