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Book Review of History of Wisconsin: A Captivating Guide to the History of the Badger State, Starting from the Arrival of Jean Nicolet through the Fox Wars, War of 1812, and Gilded Age to the Present

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The most I knew about Wisconsin (before reading this book) was the Peshtigo Fire of 1871 (learned from another book by Captivating History) and that they produce lots of superb cheese. I really liked how the author tied the prehistory of Wisconsin with the mastodon remains found by four rambunctious Dosch boys in 1897. The author doesn't get too bogged down in explaining the Clovis people and the people who followed; I liked the gentle overview of the salient facts.

It's interesting to note that 4/5 of the indigenous peoples of America have common DNA with the Clovis people. The author makes the point that the French were the people who interacted most kindly with the indigenous folks. This is a well-written, interesting story of a state that few of us know well. There is also a generous list of sources at the end, for further study.