Above: History!

1. Louisiana (or Canada)

The French were the first Europeans to poke around Wisconsin, and they officially claimed what became our state in 1671. While New France were split among several colonies, borders were vague. As one historian wrote, “The territorial status of the region that became Wisconsin was never made clear.” As long as the beaver pelts kept coming, the French had a laissez-faire attitude.

2. Province of Quebec

The French ceded control of Wisconsin-to-be (and a lot of other territory) to the British in 1763 after the French and Indian War. Originally under British military rule, by 1774 what is now Wisconsin became part of the British Province of Quebec, a.k.a. much of what is now eastern Canada and the U.S. Great Lakes states.

3. Illinois County, Virginia

True, this jurisdiction was never much more than some lines on a map, but it’s tantalizing to imagine what would have happened if Virginia’s territorial claim, made in 1778, had become reality. During the Revolutionary War, Virginia called dibs on what is now Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. A few years later, presumably realizing this land was really, really far away, the Virginians gave it to the United States.

4. Northwest Territory

After the Colonies won the Revolutionary War, a big hunk of what’s now the Midwest was organized by the new nation into the Northwest Territory (so called because it was northwest of the Ohio River). Gradually, new states were formed out of the territory – including Wisconsin in 1848.

5. Illinois Territory

In 1800, Wisconsin became part of Indiana Territory, and nine years later was shifted into the new Illinois Territory, where it remained until Illinois became a state in 1818. It was then that one of the great losses of Wisconsin history occurred: The northern border of Illinois was originally going to be the southern shore of Lake Michigan. Just before Congress created the new state, however, the map was revised and a 61-mile strip was added to northern Illinois. If the switcheroo hadn’t been made, the future state of Wisconsin would have included the spot where the city of Chicago was founded a few years later.