Minnesota Statehood Day in the United States Date in the current year: May 11, 2024

Minnesota is a state in the American Midwest, bordering Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, as well as the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario. It is the northernmost contiguous U.S. state and the second northernmost state overall, after Alaska.

Before the arrival of Europeans, the territory of what is now Minnesota was inhabited by the Dakota (a Sioux tribe native to the region) and the Ojibwe (an Anishinaabe people that migrated into the state in the 17th century). The first Europeans to set foot here were French fur traders that arrived in North America during the 17th century.

In 1671, the French signed a treaty with a number of Native American tribes to trade with them. Shortly thereafter, the first missionaries began to arrive in the region. In the 1720s, the French built Fort Beauharnois on the shores of Lake Pepin, which was the site of the first Catholic chapel in Minnesota.

In 1762, France ceded Louisiana, one of its North American colonies, to Spain by the terms of the secret Treaty of Fontainebleau. The region that became Spanish Louisiana included most of what is now Minnesota. The portion of the region east of the Mississippi River became part of the newly independent United States following the signing of the Treaty of Paris and the conclusion of the American Revolutionary War.

In 1801, France secretly acquired Louisiana back by the terms of the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso, although Spain continued to administer the colony. Two years later, Napoleon agreed to sell Louisiana to the United States for fifteen million dollars, which nearly doubled the country’s territory.

Minnesota was part of the Territory of Louisiana from 1805 to 1812, and then of the Territory of Missouri (the new name of the Louisiana Territory following the statehood of Louisiana) from 1812 to 1821. After Missouri and Arkansas were admitted to the Union in 1821, Minnesota was part of an unorganized territory until 1836, then part of the Territory of Michigan from 1834 to 1836 and the Territory of Wisconsin from 1836 to 1846. The portion of Minnesota east of the Mississippi remained part of Wisconsin until 1848, whereas the other portion was part of the Territory of Iowa from 1846 to 1848.

Finally, the Territory of Minnesota was officially formed in March 1849. Thousands of settlers came to the sparsely populated territory to cut timber and create farms, and the Dakota and Ojibwe were gradually forced into reservations.

In 1857, the Senate passed the enabling act allowing Minnesota to frame a state constitution. The Constitution of Minnesota was approved in October 1857 and ratified by the U.S. Senate on May 11, 1858, marking the admittance of Minnesota to the Union as the 32nd state.

Minnesota Statehood Day is annually proclaimed by the state governor. It is marked by various events highlighting the history and heritage of Minnesota. Statehood Day is not a paid holiday for Minnesota state employees.