Beginning with the retreat of the Wisconsin glacier and the story of early Native American peoples, Janik narrates the journey of Wisconsin's capital city from the "center of the wilderness" to the "Laboratory of Democracy." Learn how Madison's citizens responded to the Civil War, industrialization and two world wars, as well as how advances in the rights of workers, women, Native Americans and African Americans made Madison the multifaceted city it is today. Comprehensive, accessible and swift, Madison: History of a Model City offers a fresh take on how Madison and its people came into being.