Norwegian Settlement in Minnesota
In 1851, the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux was signed by Alexander Ramsey, the first governor of the territory of Minnesota, and Luke Lea, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, which opened millions of acres of land for new settlers. Ramsey and Lea justified this treaty, alongside the Treaty of Mendota, because of an "overwhelming tide of migration...increasing and irresistible in its westward progress." See Treaties Matter for more information.
The Homestead Act of 1862 “provided that any adult citizen, or intended citizen, who had never borne arms against the U.S. government could claim 160 acres of surveyed government land.” This act took lands previously owned by Indigenous Americans and gave them primarily to settlers or corporations for farming, mining, railroads, or other occupations.
These government bills greatly affected Indigenous Americans in the state and were an early factor in the U.S. Dakota Wars of 1862. To learn more about the war itself, visit the US-Dakota War of 1862 by the Minnesota Historical Society.
After 1862, Norwegian settlement in Minnesota increased. Norwegian settlements popped up in the Red River Valley, Spring Grove (then known as Norwegian Ridge), and Duluth. By the mid-1880s, settlement started shifting to cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul – eventually coined as the center of Norwegian America. The impact Norwegians left on Minnesota can be seen in religion, education, benevolent societies, politics, and so much more. The path wasn’t always easy. Disagreements arose, tensions flared, some decided to return home to Norway, and some decided to stick it out.
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- Introduction Kristina Warner