Background Information
Upon Appleton’s founding, many New England residents decided to make the area their new home. Many of these immigrants were intensely religious, and worshipped in accordance with Puritan law, which strictly denounced licentious behavior. In addition to having strong reservations about sex, profanity, and laziness, they also condemned drinking. The consumption of alcohol was to become a huge issue, distancing New England immigrants from those newly arrived from Europe.
European immigrants who found their way to the Appleton area were primarily German, Irish, British, and Dutch. They rushed to Wisconsin under promises of prosperity from Wisconsin land agents in ports of arrival, books, newspaper articles, and other sources. Many brought with them beliefs and customs that offended puritanical residents. MORE
Developed by the Outagamie County Historical Society with funding from Cooperative Education Service Agency 6, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and the U.S. Department of Education. © 2006 OCHS.
