| Body | Wisconsin Legislature |
|---|---|
| Meeting place | Wisconsin State Capitol |
| Election | February 1, 1848 |
| Term start | June 5, 1848 |
| Term end | January 1, 1849 |
| Before | Territorial Legislature |
| After | 2nd |
| Chamber 1 | Senate |
| Membership 1 | 19 |
| Control 1 | Democratic |
| Senate President | John Edwin Holmes |
| Chamber 2 | Assembly |
| Membership 2 | 66 |
| Control 2 | Democratic |
| Assembly Speaker | Ninian E. Whiteside |
| Session1 start | June 5, 1848 |
| Session1 end | August 21, 1848 |
The First Wisconsin Legislature convened from June 5, 1848, to August 21, 1848, in regular session. Members of the Assembly and Senate were elected after an election on February 1, 1848, that ratified the proposed state constitution.
Wisconsin's first governor, Democrat Nelson Dewey, of Grant County, was sworn in on the 3rd day of this legislative term. He was the only governor of Wisconsin during this legislative term.
Major events
- May 8, 1848: Nelson Dewey elected Governor of Wisconsin.
- May 29, 1848: Wisconsin was admitted to the Union as the 30th State.
- June 7, 1848: Inauguration of Nelson Dewey as the first Governor of Wisconsin.
- June 8, 1848: The Wisconsin Legislature, in joint session, elected Henry Dodge and Isaac P. Walker as United States Senators.[1]
- November 7, 1848: Zachary Taylor elected President of the United States. Wisconsin's electoral votes went to his opponent, Lewis Cass.
Major legislation
- June 21, 1848: Joint resolution relative to free territory, 1848 Joint Resolutions p.285
- June 21, 1848: Act concerning the Attorney General, 1848 Acts pp.10-11
- June 29, 1848: Act to prescribe the duties of the State Treasurer, 1848 Acts pp.13-15
- June 29, 1848: Act to divide the State of Wisconsin into Congressional Districts, 1848 Acts pp.15-16
- June 29, 1848: Act to provide for the election of Judges and for the classification and organization of the Judiciary of the State of Wisconsin, 1848 Acts pp.19-24
- July 26, 1848: Act to establish the University of Wisconsin, 1848 Acts pp.37-40
- July 29, 1848: Act to Exempt a Homestead from forced sale, 1848 Acts pp.40-41
- August 8, 1848: Act to incorporate the City of Racine in the county of Racine, 1848 Acts pp.80-100
- August 12, 1848: Act prescribing the powers and duties of the Secretary of State, 1848 Acts pp.115-120
- August 16, 1848: Act to provide for the Election and define the duties of State Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1848 Acts pp.127-129
- August 21, 1848: Act to provide for holding general and special Elections, the time when, the manner of holding the same, and the qualifications, disabilities, and privileges of electors, 1848 Acts pp.191-207
- August 21, 1848: Act in relation to Public Schools, 1848 Acts pp.226-247
Party summary
Senate summary
| Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Free Soil | Whig | Vacant | ||
| 1st Session | 16 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 0 |
| Final voting share | 84% | 0% | 16% | ||
| Beginning of the next Legislature | 14 | 1 | 4 | 19 | 0 |
Assembly summary
| Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Free Soil | Whig | Vacant | ||
| 1st Session | 49 | 0 | 17 | 66 | 0 |
| Final voting share | 74% | 0% | 26% | ||
| Beginning of the next Legislature | 35 | 14 | 17 | 66 | 0 |
Sessions
- 1st Regular session: June 4, 1848 – August 21, 1848
Leaders
Senate leadership
- President of the Senate: John E. Holmes, Lieutenant Governor
Assembly leadership
- Speaker of the Assembly: Ninian E. Whiteside
Members
Members of the Senate
Members of the Wisconsin Senate for the First Wisconsin Legislature (19):[2][3]
| District | Counties | Senator | Party | Residence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Brown, Calumet, Manitowoc, Sheboygan | Harrison C. Hobart | Dem. | Sheboygan |
| 02 | Columbia, Marquette, Portage, Sauk | Henry Merrill | Whig | Fort Winnebago |
| 03 | Crawford, Chippewa, St. Croix, La Pointe | Daniel G. Fenton | Dem. | Prairie du Chien |
| 04 | Fond du Lac, Winnebago | Warren Chase | Dem. | Ceresco |
| 05 | Iowa, Richland | Henry M. Billings | Dem. | Highland |
| 06 | Grant | George W. Lakin | Whig | Platteville |
| 07 | Lafayette | Thomas K. Gibson | Dem. | Benton |
| 08 | Green | Elisha T. Gardner | Dem. | Monroe |
| 09 | Dane | Simeon Mills | Dem. | Madison |
| 10 | Dodge | William M. Dennis | Dem. | Watertown |
| 11 | Washington | Frederick W. Horn | Dem. | Cedarburg |
| 12 | Jefferson | Myron B. Williams | Dem. | Watertown |
| 13 | Waukesha | Joseph Turner | Dem. | Prairieville |
| 14 | Walworth | John W. Boyd | Dem. | Geneva |
| 15 | Rock | Otis W. Norton | Whig | Milton |
| 16 | Racine (Southern half) | C. Latham Sholes | Dem. | Racine |
| 17 | Racine (Northern half) | Philo White | Dem. | Racine |
| 18 | Milwaukee (Southern half) | Asa Kinney | Dem. | Milwaukee |
| 19 | Milwaukee (Northern half) | Riley N. Messenger | Dem. | Milwaukee |
Members of the Assembly
Members of the Assembly for the First Wisconsin Legislature (66):[2][3]
Employees
- Enrolling Clerk: Aaron V. Fryer[4]
Senate employees
- Chief Clerk: Henry G. Abbey
- Writer: R. L. Ream
- Writer: Henry Lines
- Writer: E. P. Lockhart
- Sergeant-at-Arms: Lyman H. Seaver
- Chaplain: H. W. Reed
Assembly employees
- Chief Clerk: Daniel Noble Johnson
- Chief Clerk pro tem: L. F. Kellogg
- Assistant Clerk: T. A. B. Boyd
- Writer: Ira W. Bird
- Writer: James Murdock
- Messenger: Henry Starks
- Doorkeeper: Samuel Parkhurst
- Sergeant-at-Arms: John Mullanphy
- Chaplain: John Penman
- Chaplain: Charles Lord
References
- ^ Journal of the Assembly of the First Legislature of the State of Wisconsin. 1848. p. 36. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
- ^ "Annals of the legislature". The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin, 1881. State of Wisconsin. pp. 177, 178. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
- ^ Smith, William R. (1854). The History of Wisconsin. Madison, Wisconsin: Beriah Brown. pp. 303–305. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ Acts of the 1848 Wisconsin Legislature. Wisconsin Legislature. pp. 270, 271. Retrieved May 12, 2019.