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law was ultimately repealed, there were significant political repercussions in the 1890 and 1892 elections; for the first time in decades
Democrats won control of the Legislature and all state-wide elected offices, as well as both U.S. Senate seats and nearly all of Wisconsin's seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
393:, to write that the Bennett Law represented a convergence of "all the sectarian, bigoted, fanatical and crazy impurities" within the Republican Party and which had now taken the reins of power. The Germans, for their part, organized thoroughly and supported Peck. Combined with popular reaction against the new
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to 13 and requiring parents and caregivers to ensure that any child between the ages of 7 and 14 was receiving at least 12 weeks of schooling per year. Due to its mostly non-controversial nature, the law passed quickly almost without any debate. The problematic portion occurred in section 5 of the
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immigrant communities. The law was seen not only as an insult to the patriotism of the State's large community of non-English-speaking voters, but also as an unconstitutional attack against the independence of their church denominations and religious schools from control by the State. Although the
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We must fight alienism and selfish ecclesiasticism.... The parents, the pastors and the church have entered into a conspiracy to darken the understanding of the children, who are denied by cupidity and bigotry the privilege of even the free schools of the
331:. Furthermore, Hoard's insistence that the state could legally intervene in the internal affairs of families and church denominations and would now dictate which language students at private schools could speak and learn in was considered intolerable.
236:, had carefully avoided antagonizing the German American population, since they had considerable support from German voters. However, in the 1888 state convention, the professionals were pushed aside and the party nominated
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As opposition swelled, Hoard escalated to a defense of the public school system, which was not under attack: "The little schoolhouse—stand by it!" he cried out. Hoard ridiculed the state's German-Americans by claiming that
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The backlash began shortly after the law was published. Governor Hoard doubled down on his position and attempted to mobilize the
English-speaking population of the state for his reelection bid in
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proposed a bill to audit the status of compliance with the state's
English language education requirements. The bill provoked a flood of opposition and was abandoned in the Senate.
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and culture but also on the independence of their religious schools, which had been set up and funded by the parents in order to inculcate their community's religious values, from
381:
were initially not as vigorous in opposition to the law, with a substantial section of the community even supporting it, as Hoard had hoped. However, the outpouring of militantly
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was a better guardian of their children's education than their parents or their clergymen. Hoard had counted votes and thought he had a winning coalition by whipping up
813:
274:, was serving his second term in the State Assembly and had attended a conference in Chicago with educational leaders from various backgrounds to draft
838:
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rhetoric by Hoard and many of the law's supporters alienated a majority of the Irish in
Wisconsin, prompting the top Irish newspaper in the state, the
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law, which defined a "school" as an institution which utilized only the
English language for instructions on reading, writing, math, and U.S. history.
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314:. In Milwaukee, a predominantly German-speaking city where an estimated 86 percent had foreign-born parents, Hoard attacked Germania and religion:
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Ethnic
Leadership and Midwestern Politics: Scandinavian Americans and the Progressive Movement in Wisconsin, 1890-1914
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with strong ethnic pride, operated large numbers of parochial schools in the state and widely utilized the
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The law was repealed in 1891, but
Democratic Party used its memory to carry Wisconsin and Illinois in the
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referred to it as "unjust and a blow at the German people". After strong lobbying by
Catholic Archbishop
422:
ruled that attacks by the government against the independence of private religious schools violates the
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245:
221:
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50:
670:
629:
477:"Education, the Tariff, and the Melting Pot: Cultural Conflict and the Democratic Landslide of 1890"
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for governor; neither man was an immigrant, VIlas having been born in
Vermont and Pick in New York.
263:
instruction in schools, but the requirement was never enforced. Early in the session, state senator
412:. It was the last major attack on education using the German language until 1914. In the 1925 case
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for educating the youth and ending child labor. The bulk of the
Bennett Law dealt with raising the
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397:, the result was a major victory for the Democratic Party in Wisconsin, the first in decades. The
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Hunt, Thomas C. "The Bennett Law of 1890: Focus of Conflict between Church and State,"
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By June 1890, the state's main German-speaking Lutheran denominations, the
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240:, a dairy farmer with no political experience, for governor. Hoard won the
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536:. Northfield, Minn: Norwegian-American Historical Association. p. 50.
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168:. The controversial section of the law was a requirement to utilize the
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The Germans were incensed at Hoard's blatant attacks not only on their
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264:
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The Winning of the Midwest: Social and Political Conflict, 1888-1896
42:
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Calling This Place Home: Women on the Wisconsin Frontier, 1850-1925
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248:. One of his priorities for the session was reforms to Wisconsin's
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405:, where the same forces were at work to produce a Democratic win.
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The Bennett Law of 1889: Education and Politics in Wisconsin
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Message calling for repeal by Governor George W. Peck, 1891
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An Act concerning the education and employment of children
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by insisting that the state must embrace and enforce the
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in all schools, whether private or public. Meanwhile,
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and his inauguration coincided with the start of the
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Quoted in Whyte, "The Bennett Law Campaign," p. 388
346:also denounced the law; Father Johann B. Reindl of
424:First Amendment to the United States Constitution
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745:Wisconsin Ethnic Groups and the Election of 1890
436:Compulsory public education in the United States
26:For the concept in agricultural economics, see
546:
160:, was a controversial state law passed by the
553:. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 329.
529:
259:Technically, Wisconsin law already required
19:For the concept in quantum information, see
196:. The Bennett Law was bitterly resented by
814:Anti-German sentiment in the United States
41:
839:History of education in the United States
565:"Bennett Law | Encyclopedia of Milwaukee"
342:, had denounced the law. German-American
735:"The Bennett Law Campaign in Wisconsin,"
410:1892 United States presidential election
366:took up the cause for German and other
796:
474:
16:Legal act of the Wisconsin legislature
819:Anti-Catholicism in the United States
683:Richard J. Jensen (1971), pp. 138-139
654:from the original on October 22, 2017
613:from the original on October 22, 2017
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190:German language in the United States
776:Americanization and the Bennett Law
511:from the original on March 22, 2017
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859:Repealed United States legislation
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461:
14:
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650:. September 27, 1890. p. 4.
609:. September 26, 1890. p. 4.
358:and other parochial leaders, the
184:, who combined a strong sense of
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718:"The Bennett Law in Wisconsin,"
575:from the original on 2017-03-22
441:Oregon Compulsory Education Act
829:Political history of Wisconsin
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370:and nominated Milwaukee Mayor
1:
751:, 51:4 (1967-1968): 269-293 .
749:Wisconsin Magazine of History
738:Wisconsin Magazine of History
730:. New York: Arno Press, 1980.
721:Wisconsin Magazine of History
507:. Encyclopedia of Milwaukee.
485:. University of Chicago Press
454:
215:
780:Wisconsin Historical Society
700:, 23:1 (Winter 1981): 69-93.
415:Pierce v. Society of Sisters
7:
864:United States education law
698:Journal of Church and State
644:"Father Reindl's Statement"
475:Jensen, Richard J. (1971).
429:
10:
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834:Legal history of Wisconsin
482:The Winning of the Midwest
246:39th Wisconsin Legislature
93:39th Wisconsin Legislature
51:39th Wisconsin Legislature
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789:Encyclopedia of Milwaukee
377:Traditionally Democratic
270:The namesake of the law,
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723:, 2: 1 (September 1918).
716:Kellogg, Louise Phelps.
648:The Oshkosh Northwestern
607:The Oshkosh Northwestern
356:Archdiocese of Milwaukee
809:German-American history
547:Joan M. Jensen (2006).
869:Education in Wisconsin
733:Whyte, William Foote.
344:Roman Catholic priests
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157:1889 Wisconsin Act 519
36:1889 Wisconsin Act 519
824:English-only movement
766:Wisconsin Legislature
530:Jørn Brøndal (2004).
401:was a similar law in
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292:English only movement
222:Wisconsin Republicans
194:medium of instruction
174:medium of instruction
164:in 1889 dealing with
162:Wisconsin Legislature
854:Language legislation
844:1889 in American law
329:control by the state
272:Michael John Bennett
250:compulsory education
166:compulsory education
121:Michael John Bennett
740:, 10:4 (1926–1927).
360:Wisconsin Democrats
186:American patriotism
762:1889 Wisc. Act 519
726:Ulrich, Robert J.
704:Jensen, Richard J.
603:"Money to Koerner"
420:U.S. Supreme Court
372:George Wilbur Peck
368:minority languages
83:1889 Wisc. Act 519
849:1889 in Wisconsin
743:Wyman, Roger E. "
448:Meyer v. Nebraska
325:linguistic rights
280:legal working age
276:model legislation
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391:Catholic Citizen
364:William F. Vilas
352:Frederick Katzer
261:English language
238:William D. Hoard
226:political bosses
220:For many years,
205:Polish Americans
198:German Americans
178:German Catholics
170:English language
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133:1891 Wisc. Act 4
111:William D. Hoard
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230:Philetus Sawyer
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89:Enacted by
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172:as the sole
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785:Bennett Law
658:October 22,
617:October 22,
515:January 27,
399:Edwards law
254:child labor
152:Bennett Law
127:Repealed by
798:Categories
579:2018-02-05
455:References
216:Background
62:Long title
489:April 23,
362:, led by
265:Levi Pond
224:, led by
182:Lutherans
652:Archived
611:Archived
573:Archived
509:Archived
430:See also
403:Illinois
338:and the
308:Germania
304:nativist
228:such as
202:Catholic
143:Repealed
79:Citation
787:at the
778:at the
709:(1971)
443:of 1926
389:-based
354:of the
348:Oshkosh
192:as the
140:Status:
99:Enacted
711:online
418:, the
319:state.
256:laws.
764:via
713:ch 5
660:2017
619:2017
517:2018
491:2022
288:1890
252:and
232:and
180:and
150:The
747:".
310:as
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300:he
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