Minnesota
Art, History & Archaeology Sites & Museums

The Upper Midwestern state of Minnesota takes its name from the Minnesota River, the latter’s name deriving from a Dakota term meaning “sky-tinted water”. The Dakota are one of two indigenous groups that once predominated here, the other being the Ojibwe. Spearheaded by French explorers, Europeans entered the region in the 17th century, after which it came under United States control in the late 18th century, initially as part of the Northwest Territory. In 1858 Minnesota became a state, with its population growing in large part due to immigration from Germany and Scandinavia, leaving a clear impact on Minnesotan culture. Growing pressure on the Dakota population sparked the Sioux Uprising of 1862.