Intro/The Point of Beginning (7:21)
The history of a state is more than names and dates. It's about change. And, change never stops. But what hasn't changed is the point of the first spot of land surveying in the state, determined in 1831.

Ice (8:54)
The land, too, changes. In Wisconsin that's largely been because of multiple glacial advances and retreats. What's been left behind?

People (7:26)
Arrowheads, spearheads and pottery can provide clues of the paleo-Indians, when they lived and how they lived. The largest site in the state for such artifacts is in Dane County. Large animal bones, too, have been found across the state, indicating human/animal interaction.

Art (8:59)
Southwestern Wisconsin has a great deal of rock art, painted and carved thousands of years ago. It reflects the fundamental belief systems of ancient people, providing a glimpse of how people then viewed their world. The work acts as a library of the ancient world.

Contact (7:10)
There were indigenous prophesies of first contact with Europeans. As much as 90 percent of the population may have been wiped out by European diseases. Another result was a near loss of native culture.

Trade (8:21)
Trade brought together two cultures, French and American Indian. A result was a whole new culture, the Métis. It was the dominant culture for many years, destroyed when colonizers moved West.

War (7:21)
Forts had been built across Wisconsin to claim the land and protect economic interests. Then, the purpose began to shift, to protect the settlers who claimed the land for themselves. Get the view from those outside the fort, too, when a modern-day Ho-Chunk elder explains the motives of his ancestors in the Blackhawk War.

Epilogue/Credits (4:58)
Change is inscribed on Wisconsin. For better or for worse, it never stops. The people of Wisconsin are its instigators and objects.

Intro (6:45)
Attendees at an 1824 Christmas party at Fort Howard, outside of Green Bay, represented the full spectrum of early Wisconsin settlers -- Yankees, American Indians and French. Such a spectrum -- with people from more than 70 different countries -- continues today and is evident at places like the annual Milwaukee Folk Fair.

Immigrants (4:28)
Immigration patterns take different forms -- individuals and families or waves. There was a backlash from already-settled citizens. For the immigrants, it was important to blend in while hanging on to an ethnic identity.

Many Trails (9:11)
Forced to leave their own lands on the East Coast, different bands of American Indians were among the many people who made their way to Wisconsin. Today, new generations keep traditions alive by reclaiming their language and culture. Also, look at the benefits of Native-American gaming.

Sound Mind, Sound Body (9:45)
Explore the influences of German immigrants on Wisconsin history, from the Civil War and the 48ers, to Turner Societies and the effects of World War I.

Forever Here (8:30)
Polish immigrants fueled the state's industrial engine. Through their hard work, they took 20 years to pay for Milwaukee's magnificent Basilica of St. Josephat, which served as the center of Polish-American life.

Going North (9:35)
Three stories of African-African migration. Swept up in the Great Migration of 1910-1930, Southern African-Americans came North to work in Wisconsin factories, where they often had to do the dirtiest jobs. During the Civil War, blacks sought freedom from slavery in Wisconsin. During World War II, new African-American arrivals were no longer content to accept the status quo and sowed the seeds for the civil rights movement.

The Reluctant Immigrant (7:49)
More than 40,000 Hmong, formerly refugees from Laos, live in Wisconsin. Although adapting to American life has been difficult and bittersweet, many Hmong have found success in their new home.

Past, Present & Future (4:31)
Each year, many take the oath of citizenship and settle in Wisconsin. The ceremony is a time to look at the past and present, to celebrate and welcome the future.

Intro (5:46)
The Wisconsin Constitution of 1848 set the stage for a continuous debate about who we are in Wisconsin.

Outrage (8:30)
In response to the repugnant Fugitive Slave Law, Wisconsinites refuse to hand over runaway slave, Joshua Glover. This event led to the birth of the Republican Party, an anti-slavery party. Railroads wielded great power over Wisconsin politics. The Granger Movement arose to combat the corrupt railroad industry, leading to numerous reforms.

Fighting Bob (11:56)
Explore the origins of Bob La Follette, the founder of the the Progressive Party. As a young Republican with a promising career, he witnessed corruption and graft that transformed his political world view. La Follette drew on the University of Wisconsin System to revolutionize local government and the Wisconsin Idea was soon creating models for the rest of the nation.

Sewer Socialists (4:35)
Milwaukee municipal workers turned to the Social Democratic Party to forge reforms for housing, public health, public education and workplace conditions. Influences on the state and national arenas began to be exerted in the early 1900s.

1911 (3:33)
A profile of a most productive period of Wisconsin legislative history. Expanding beyond La Follette's reforms, state government created innovative programs that served as a laboratory of social and political change.

Last Thing a Man Becomes Progressive About (2:56)
The Political Equality League's campaign for women's suffrage was not supported by most men, who saw suffrage as an omen of social chaos.

25,000 Traitors (6:49)
World War I had a detrimental effect on the Socialist movement in Wisconsin. Those who questioned America's involvement in the war were criticized. The federal government's Espionage Act restricted anti-war speech that led to the trial of Wisconsinite Victor Berger.

Carrying on the Tradition (9:16)
Progressive Republicans Bob Jr. and Phil La Follette carry on the political traditions of their father, Bob La Follette. Bob Jr. was the first in Congress to argue to government intervention during the Depression. As governor, Phil support reforms that would later become part of Democrat FDR's new deal. Eventually, the Progressive Party's great successes took a turn for the worse, culminating in Bob Jr.'s defeat in the Senate race by Joe McCarthy in 1946.

Joining the Mainstream (6:46)
Many in the Progressive Party who followed Bob Jr. into the Republican Party became Democrats. The new Democrats successes were a first for the historically Republican state. By the 1950s, Wisconsin's political parties were more mainstream.

Intro (10:21)
Wisconsin's early settlers came here and transformed a wilderness. With labor, harvest and productivity, they created a modern economy and built a state.

Bayview (7:23)
Following the Civil War, manufacturing overtook the traditional crafts in Wisconsin, but factory conditions were degrading and dangerous. Workers did win the fight for the eight-hour day but at the cost of people's lives.

No Lumberjack Ever Took a Bath (9:08)
Logging was an essential part of the Wisconsin economy and the lumberjack's life was risk-filled and isolated.

Leap of Faith (7:41)
Poor farming practices stripped southern Wisconsin's farmlands of fertile soil. Farmers turned to dairy farming, which was harder work than raising wheat. Co-ops led to improved practices and the new Dairy Association saw the rise of Wisconsin's talents and quality. The University of Wisconsin contributed greatly with experiments in silos, feed, processing, education and the invention of the butter fat test. Hard work, improved practices and scientific agriculture all helped make Wisconsin America's Dairyland. When farmers tried to develop farms in depleted logging forests of northern Wisconsin, they found the land impossible to work. When crop costs dropped and farms failed, northern Wisconsin turned to tourism to revitalize its economy.

A New Era (5:30)
The shorter work week and a growing work force allowed people to spend more leisure time (and money). The budding tourism industry introduced the world to Wisconsin's natural beauty.

CCC (4:52)
Following the U.S. economic crash of 1929, the federal government created the CCC, which employed 90,000 young men in Wisconsin. The CCC transformed the Wisconsin landscape via soil conservation and reforestation. It constructed bridges and roads, and state park infrastructure. As one former CCC participant notes, "We went in as boys and came out as young men."

The War Effort (9:19)
Wisconsin's economy was transformed by World War II. Dairy production increased 20 percent to feed factory workers, while canning and meat processing plants operated at full capacity. Textile and leather manufacturing clothed and fed soldiers. The foundries met all demands of manufacturing, from tools to submarines. Women comprised of one-third to one-half of all employees. At the war's end, Wisconsin successfully re-tooled its factories for the post-war economy.

Intro/Creatures of Habit (18:31)
The game of lacrosse, invented by American Indians, is an important part of revitalizing ancient traditions. Norwegian-Americans today continue the traditions of Ledafisks. During the Depression, Milwaukee African-Americans raised money and built a YMCA, which continues to thrive, for their community's children.

It Amuses Me (9:55)
Wisconsin innovations led to engines designed for play: Harley-Davidson motorcycles, outboard motors and snowmobiles. Family-owned taverns changed the social landscape, serving as dance halls, message boards, job centers and rest stops. Wisconsin also was naturally suited for a thriving beer industry, thanks to pure water, ice, barley, a railroad infrastructure and thirsty clientele.

American Birkebeiner (5:37)
Founded in 1973 by Tony Weiss, the American Birkebeiner quickly grew to be a premier cross-country skiing event, attended by skiers from all over the world.

Cream of the Crop (9:40)
Wisconsin State Fair, the state's largest event, has a long history of reflecting the state's character, activities and enjoyments. Also, the ice cream sundae was born in Wisconsin at Berner's ice cream parlor in Two Rivers. During the Depression, participants in the Milwaukee WPA Handicraft Project made special dolls and toys for children in hospitals and orphanages.

Green Bay Packers 6:16
Since the late 1930s, the Green Bay Packers football team has been beloved by Wisconsinites. One fan observes, "Well, I'm a Packer fan. That's different from just being a fan."

Back Together Now 9:21
Follow the circus train, and its wagons and animals. Traveling from Baraboo to Milwaukee, the Great Circus Parade is a living history and embodies a special mix of Wisconsin play identity.