Minnesota State History
Minnesota is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States.
It borders Canada, Wisconsin, South Dakota, North Dakota and also Lake Superior, the largest Great Lake.
Minnesota’s nickname is “land of the 10,000 lakes”. It is the twelfth largest state in the U.S.
Related: Minnesota State Facts
The word Minnesota comes from the Dakota name for the Minnesota River.
It is two words in Dakota: “MniSota”, which means “clear blue water”, or “Mnissota”, which means “cloudy water”.
When Europeans first came to the area, they couldn’t understand the Dakota languages. To explain the idea of “cloudy water” to Europeans, the Dakota people dropped milk into water and called it “mnisota”.
Early History
Before Europeans settled in North America, the Dakota Sioux people lived in the Minnesota region.
When Europeans arrived, the Dakota Sioux moved further away from the east coast. The Anishinaabe (or Ojibwe) and other Native Americans then moved into the region.
Minnesota was part of Spanish Louisiana from 1762 to 1802.
At the end of the American Revolutionary War, the area east of the Mississippi River became part of the United States.
Minnesota became the 32nd U.S. state in 1858.
European settlers and Native Americans signed treaties that forced Native Americans of their land in the 1830s.
Tensions rose and war erupted in 1862 in the Dakota War. This war lasted six weeks.
Minnesota developed rapidly after the 1880s. By 1900, the population had grown to 1.7 million.
However, the area was hit hard by the Great Depression.
After World War II, the region underwent great transformations again. Rural production (farming) was developed through the use of automatic machinery.
In 1960, the population was 3.4 million.
Minnesota is known for having a very educated population. In 2009, Minnesota had the second-highest proportion of high school graduates.
In 2015, Minnesota was voted the most literate city in the U.S.
Quiz Time!
What does the name Minnesota mean?
What size was the population in 1900?
When did Minnesota become the 32nd U.S. state?
When was Minnesota part of Spanish Louisiana?
Who lived in Minnesota before Europeans arrived?
