Jack Fain is a junior at West High School in Madison, Wisconsin. His interests include European History and the History of Revolution. He thanks his teachers for inspiring his interest in learning and has truly enjoyed the opportunity to participate in Wisconsin 101.
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OBJECT HISTORY: Draft Drum
This is a Civil War era draft drum, or draft wheel, used in Wisconsin from the years 1862 to 1864 during the Civil War. It has a fascinating yet turbulent past, as the draft inspired anxiety and opposition nationwide. In Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, it even inspired violence.
Ozaukee County Draft Riot
As the Civil War raged on, the North needed more troops but there was far less enthusiasm to enlist than at the start. During the summer of 1862, President Lincoln called for 600,000 additional men to join the fight. Wisconsin’s quota was 11,804 soldiers and they were to be ready in 15 days.
Kemp Trial
One ringleader of the 1862 Ozaukee County Riot was Nicholas Kemp, an immigrant from Luxemburg, Germany, and blacksmith by trade, who had emigrated to America in 1846. At the time of the riot he was in the general mercantile business.