MNopedia
The Lower Sioux Agency near Morton saw the first engagement of the U.S.-Dakota war
The agency was established by the U.S. government to administer obligations under the 1851 treaties of Traverse des Sioux and Mendota.
Matt Reicher
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MNopedia
The Ho-Chunk followed all the rules for Native Americans in the 19th century — and the government still exiled them
Their story is a great example of how native peoples just couldn’t win.
MNopedia
From slave to prominent citizen of St. Paul: the remarkable life of James Thompson
After winning his freedom in the 1830s James Thompson became a respected citizen of the city of St. Paul known for his accomplishments more than his skin color.
MNopedia
When St. Paul — officially — served as a safe haven for criminals
Criminals had to agree to three conditions: that they checked-in with police upon their arrival; agreed to pay bribes to city officials; and committed no major crimes in the city of St. Paul.
MNopedia
Three years after the Civil War, Minnesota voters approved black suffrage
From their state’s admission to the Union until the mid-1860s, Minnesota’s black citizens paid taxes, fought in wars, and fostered their communities. But they could not vote, hold political office, or serve on juries.
MNopedia
The last Dakota-Ojibwe battle: Shakopee, 1858
On May 27, 1858, the last in a long series of violent conflicts between Dakota and Ojibwe people took place on the banks of the Minnesota River.
MNopedia
Father Louis Hennepin Bridge was first to span Mississippi
The bridge was built in 1855 to take advantage of the transport possibilities provided by the Mississippi River above St. Anthony Falls.
MNopedia
Rail battle, 1854: the Minnesota and Northwestern Railroad land grant scandal
Public outcry over a plan to create a rail line across Minnesota Territory led to scandal and the repeal of the territory’s first land grant bill.
MNopedia
The short history of Nininger, Minnesota
Founded by a real-estate developer in 1856, Nininger boomed to 1,000 residents and went bust in just 13 years.