Minnesota History
HIST 1101
Anoka-Ramsey Community College
Spring 2024


Reminder:
Quizzes and Discussions are available from
noon Tuesday to the following Tuesday at noon.
 

Week 1/ Quiz 1:

Week begins on: Tuesday, January 9

*Free one-week extension given, which means the deadline is 1/23

Topics Covered

Readings for background, discussions, and quizzes

CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF ALL COURSE DEADLINES

 

Introduction to the Course and to Minnesota History

Native American groups

Early Fur Trade and Early Explorers

1.  North Country, Prologue, pp. xi-xvii.

2.  North Country, Chapter 1, p. 1-23. *Be sure to include reading the image essays and looking at the images as part of your reading.*

3.  Prologue to Haymakers, p. 3-17.
   
**AS YOU READ NORTH COUNTRY, FOLLOW ALONG IN THIS NOTE-TAKING GUIDE SO YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THE LARGER PICTURE AND KNOW WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO TAKE NOTES ON.**  In many cases, we will not be reading the entire chapter, so follow the exact page numbers listed each week. See the note-taking guide for information regarding the skipped pages.

 

Week 2/Quiz 2:

Tuesday, January 16

Topics Covered

Readings for background, discussions, and quizzes

 

Impact of Continued European Presence in Minnesota

Transition to American Rule; Founding of Fort Snelling

New Generation of Fur Traders
 

 

1.  North Country, Chapter 2, ONLY p. 40-41.  We will not be reading the bulk of this chapter; see the note-taking guide for some important terms to note.

2.  North Country, Chapter 3, ONLY p. 52-74. 

3.  North Country, Chapter 4, p. 75-100.  *Be sure to include reading the image essays and looking at the images as part of your reading.*

[We are skipping all of Chapter 5.]

NORTH COUNTRY NOTE-TAKING GUIDE

Week 3/Quiz 3:
 

Tuesday, January 23

Topics Covered

Readings for background, discussions, and quizzes

 

 

Indian Land Treaties

Early Timber Trading

Impact on Mixed-Race People

The (Bumpy) Road to Minnesota Territory and Statehood

 

1.  North Country, Chapter 6, ONLY pp. 128-150.  *Be sure to include reading the image essays and looking at the images as part of your reading.*

2.  North Country, Chapter 7, pp. 160-162 ("Making St. Paul"), p. 176-184 ("Minnesota-- A Territory at Last.")

3.  North Country, Chapter 8, ONLY pp. 185-204, look at the map on p. 221. *Also be sure to include reading the image essays and looking at the images as part of your reading, even though these are outside of the assigned pages in Chapter 8.*

4.  North Country, Chapter 9, ONLY pp. 247-254 ("Making Minnesota")

5.  Look at this Interactive Map of Minnesota Treaties.  Click through and read the information about each treaty.  It will give you a sense of how this all played out, geographically speaking.  Next, read ONE of the following treaties -- your choice.  Try to figure out what was taken from Native Americans, and what they were given in return.
1837 Treaty

1854 Treaty (click on text of the treaty)


NORTH COUNTRY NOTE-TAKING GUIDE

Week 4/Quiz 4:

Tuesday, January 30

Topics Covered

Readings for background, discussions, and quizzes

 

Minnesotans in the U.S. Civil War

Early Immigrants to Minnesota

1.  "A Hope and a Future," in Haymakers, pp. 19-45

2.  North Country, Chapter 10, ONLY pp. 280- 287(brief discussion of Minnesota's role in the Civil War.)
NORTH COUNTRY NOTE-TAKING GUIDE

3. Civil War Letters from the Christie Family
In the column on the left side of the page, scroll down, click on any of the DATES.  Choose any TWO letters.  You'll notice when you click on the letters you can read them with the original handwriting, or choose "Transcription" to see the letter typed.

4.  Watch this short video "War for the West: Minnesota Regiments in the Civil War"

5.  "Indeed We Did Fight": A Soldier's Letters from the First Battle of Bull Run," *This is an article that is located on D2L (Materials --> Content)

Week 5/Quiz 5:
 

Tuesday, February 6

Topics Covered

Readings for background, discussions, and quizzes
  The Dakota Conflict and the Cataclysm on the Minnesota

1.  North Country, chapter 10, ONLY pp. middle of 276-280, 293-300. 

2.  North Country, Chapter 11,  pp. 338-345.  "The Final Act." AND all Images and Image Essays -- look at and read all the glossy pages in this chapter.  We will rely on the radio documentary to learn about this topic, but I also want your understanding to be informed by this material.

3.  Radio Documentary This American Life: Little War on the Prairie.  You can listen on-line or download this.  Reading the transcript is also an option but I highly suggest listening to it.

4.  Dakota Conflict Trials webpage:  Were the trials unfair?

NORTH COUNTRY NOTE-TAKING GUIDE

 

Week 6/Quiz 6:

Tuesday, February 13

Topics Covered

Readings for background, discussions, and quizzes
  European Immigrants to Minnesota

Development of the Iron Range

 

1.  "A Yorker's Sojourn" in Haymakers, pp. 49-73.

2.  Minnesota Publicity.  Look at the table of contents and read ONE chapter of your choice.  This is a book digitized by Google so it can be a challenge to find shortcuts; I suggest using the "thumbnail" selection on the right.  Next, read the table of contents and choose a chapter, and then input the page number you wish to navigate to. 
Minnesota: Its Character and Climate

3. 
Hibbing in Minnesota Communities, on-line at MHS.
Be sure to click on each item to enlarge it (in the case of photos) or scroll down to read the text.  Read these three topics, choosing "Learn More" for each one:

3a.
 Occupations/Mining: read or look at the six items listed there
3b.
Milestones/Prospecting: read or look at the six items listed there
3c.   Milestones/Dangers of Mining: read or look at the six items listed there.

4.  "Years of Change on the Iron Range." *This is an article that is located on D2L (Materials --> Content)

Week 7/Quiz 7:

Tuesday, February 20

Topics Covered

Readings for background, discussions, and quizzes
  The Duluth Lynching

1Background about the Duluth Lynching from Minnesota Public Radio.  Click here to either read a radio story about the lynching.  I recommend listening if you can!  You can also view the postcard here, which contains upsetting images.

2.  More material about the lynching from Minnesota Public Radio [these websites have been archived to it takes a minute or so for it to load -- thanks for your patience.]
2a.  Lynching memorial takes shape
2b.  Dedicating a memorial

3.  Follow this link to the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial Website, where you can see photos of the memorial and learn more about what this still-active group is doing in Duluth. 

4.  Minnesota Historical Society, Duluth Lynchings Resources.  Read the following:
4a.  Background information

4b.  The legal proceedings

 

Week 8/Quiz 8:

 

Tuesday, February 27

Topics Covered

Readings for background, discussions, and quizzes
  The Great Depression in Minnesota

The CCC and the WPA

The Truckers Strike

 

 

1. Built to Last: The legacy of the CCC in Minnesota (video; 26 minutes).  You do not need to keep track of timestamps for citations but you should note the names of the CCC projects with some details about each.


2a
Watch this short video and look through the interactive website to look inside Buskowiak's trunk (a CCC worker in MN)

Choose ONE of the following CCC memoirs to read:
2b. Buskowiak Memoir
2c
.  Nelson Memoir
 

3.   The Works Progress Administration (WPA) in Minnesota.  Follow this link to read a short description of the WPA (another Great Depression-era government agency) and see some examples in Minnesota.



4. Watch this 18 minute video  "Minneapolis Truckers Make History"
 

 

Optional: Read this website about the CCC in MN. (more information and photos, if you're interested)

Week 9/Quiz 9: Two week block here due to Spring Break!  You can complete the work at any point within the two weeks; Saturday deadline for discussion is 3/16.

Begins Tuesday, March 5
[ends 3/19]

Minnesota in the 40s and 50s (various topics)

1.  Information about Native American Boarding Schools.  This website provides a general introduction to the topic of boarding schools earlier in the twentieth century.  Although, in places, this site focuses on boarding schools in the Northwest, it provides valuable context and information relevant for our course.  Skim this website, and scroll down to see a typical daily schedule.

2.  "Families" in Rez Road Follies, pp. 1-36.

3.  NPR Story about Memories of Boarding Schools in Minnesota: read or listen here.  *I highly recommend listening as the audio includes a bit more detail and you can get a better sense of the emotions involved.  This story does contain a short discussion of sexual assault.

4.  Listen to this radio documentary (and the following interviews) "No Jews Allowed" (approximately 54 minutes.)

5.  'Into the bright sunshine' -- Hubert Humphrey's civil-rights agenda. *This will take up to 30 seconds to load.  Please be patient. [Part of recent coverage marking HHH's 100th birthday.]

6.  Watch this award-winning documentary "Jim Crow of the North" (57 minutes)  Before you watch, look at some questions I have posted in D2L Materials>Content.  They will inform your viewing, note-taking, and discussion posts.

7.  Optional: "Mapping Prejudice."  Click here to see their map (scroll down) and learn about this innovative public history project. 

Week 10:  Tuesday, March 19

Paper #1 is Due on Tuesday March 26 at Noon!  No Discussion or Quiz this week -- use the time to work on your papers and meet with a writing tutor for extra credit, if possible.

 

Week 11/Quiz 10:

Tuesday, March 26

Topics Covered

Readings for background, discussions, and quizzes
  Native Americans: Activism in the 60s and 70s 1.  Watch a documentary about the American Indian Movement, which was founded in Minneapolis.  "We Shall Remain: Episode 5," approximately 1:20 in length.  Located on D2L --> Materials --> Content


This link might also work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgKJ6UTRMJ4&t=3393s


2. 
Learn about the fishing issue, decided by the "Voight decision," or LCO vs. Voight.  This website begins with some background and then discusses the important legal cases (called "LCO") in the "Federal Courts Reaffirm" section.  Pay attention to what the judges ruled and why.  Northrup discusses a similar issue in his chapter.

3.   Choose "Warriors" OR "Veterans" in Rez Road Follies.

4.  "Politics," in Rez Road Follies, pp. 125-155.

Week 12/Quiz 11:

Tuesday, April 2

Topics Covered

Readings for background, discussions, and quizzes
  The 70s and 80s
(Class Action and Farming)
1.  Class Action, Part One, pp. 3-135.

2.  "Blue Silos" in Haymakers, pp. 139-172.

 

Week 13/Quiz 12:

Tuesday, April 9

Topics Covered

Readings for background, discussions, and quizzes
  The Hmong: One of Minnesota's largest and most recent immigrant groups Material for background information (start here):
1.  Read this short essay about the history of the Hmong people and how they became migrants to the United States.  Although this is not an academic essay, it provides a good basic overview of the topic.

2.  The Latehomecomer: a Hmong Family Memoir.

Required: Read Chapters 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 11, 15

(In chapters 4 and 5, her family spends seven years in a refugee camp.  Chapter 6 describes her time in a temporary camp and departure for America.  Between Chapters 11 and 15 she begins college and her beloved grandmother dies.)

Click here for The Latehomecomer Extra Credit Assignment
 

Week 14/ Quiz 13:

Tuesday, April 16

Topics Covered

Readings for background, discussions, and quizzes
  Class Action, Concluded  Class Action, Parts Two, Part Three, and Epilogue: pp. 139-385.
 

Week 15/Quiz 14:  Last quiz!!

Tuesday, April 23

Topics Covered

Readings for background, discussions, and quizzes
  How are Minnesotans grappling with their past?  History in the news!

 

1. MN 2020 Census -- Article about changing population (you can click on the interactive maps)

2. Why did some think Lake Calhoun should be-renamed?  Historyapolis blog post.

3. Who was behind the "Save Lake Calhoun" movement?  MPR article

4.   How should we reflect on the legacy of the Dakota Conflict and Fort Snelling in particular?  (Editorial in the Star Tribune written by a history professor at SW-MSU, Dr. Jeff Kolnick -- this is his personal copy provided to Prof. Janke, since the Star Tribune no longer offers a link to the article.)

5.  Thinking About the 150th Anniversary of the US-Dakota Conflict.

6.  North Country, Epilogue, p. 346-360.

7. Minnesota Needs a New State Flag (reading in D2L > Materials> Content)

8.  Just for fun:  Some of the strangest new flag proposals! https://racketmn.com/new-mn-state-flag-design-submissions

Tuesday April 30:
Week 16 and Finals Week: 
No final exam in the class.  No more quizzes.  The only tasks remaining are to: #1 Complete your post in Final Reflections with a deadline of 5/7 (details will be posted on D2L).  #2 Complete the second paper by Friday May 10 at NOON.

You may also complete a third paper for extra credit, suggested due date of May 6 but you may have until May 10 at midnight.