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HISTORY OF MINNEAPOLIS |
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Minneapolis, Minnesota originated from the power and beauty of a water fall on the Mississippi river. In 1680 Louis Hennepin named the falls, St. Anthony Falls. A wilderness territory, Minnesota was home to several Native American tribes. Some, had been relocated near the falls when they were displaced from Iowa and Wisconsin. The Sioux and Ojibwa were predominant tribes, and the only obstacle to future European and American growth in the region. Governor Ramsey and the commission for Indian affairs created a new relocation treaty that removed the Sioux from the St. Anthony area by 1853. Money made by politicians and businessman through corruption in Indian affairs along with the diminishing fur trade were the first sources of financial growth in the region, but the waterfalls, and secured land for settlement led to a diversity of industries (Aby 93).
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 St. Anthony Falls |
 A Dakota Boy From the 1862 Minneapolis Collection |
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Minneapolis’s economic past has cooperatively led from one industry to another. The logging in the north helped Minneapolis grow with the successful lumber industry. Logging was so prevalent that at the time Minneapolis would be referred to as Sawdust Town, and the population went from 438,000 in 1870 to 1.3 million in 1890 (Lass 175). Capital from this helped finance the mills that gave Minneapolis its most popular nickname, Mill City. Mill city was not only a leading industry in the state but also in the country, and “By 1890 Minneapolis was the world’s leading wheat market, and it’s buyers were exporting wheat as well as selling it to local millers.” (Lass 163). The success of the mill markets contributed to its growth in other ways as well, as written by William Lass, “This outgrowth and extension of milling stimulated cosmopolitanism in Minneapolis as hundreds of businesspeople traveled widely in the nation and abroad and returned with new outlooks and perspectives.” The railroads were built to help move these high demands for wheat. After the success of big name milling businesses such as Pillsbury and General mills, Banks and other financial institutions flourished. Manufacturing increased in demand for milling products such as barrels, cloth, and paper as well as farming machinery (Lass 164). Later mining would bring capital to the city.
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 Minneapolis Photo Collection |
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The evolution into Mill City was also a catalyst for the migration of a diverse population. Surrounding the time of WWI there was a stop of European migration. The industries were sent south recruiting blacks. Following WWII there were increased tensions and discrimination between the growing black communities and the whites. During the 1920s many blacks moved from inside the city to surrounding neighborhoods that became ghettos. Examples of this were the North side of Minneapolis and an area known as Seven Corners, these held a little under half of Minneapolis’s black population by 1930, (Taylor 32). The Minneapolis Urban League was established in 1925 to help with housing, health care, and employment difficulties many faced. The labor movements of the 30's, 40's, and 50's were also used by blacks as a political force to help end discrimination in employment, a large problem even more so for blacks during the depression (Aby 325). Many were organized to promote the New Deal liberal policies. Due to the small population of blacks at the time protests had less effect. This was also a time where black newspapers began, and many social clubs for blacks were started. Real growth began from 1950 to 1970 when Minneapolis saw 436% increase in the black population, a time when the country was struggling with civil rights (Taylor 51). As of a 1990 census half of all blacks live in Minneapolis.
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 Minneapolis Urban League |
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At the turn of the 20th century the Asian population was almost non-existent. The St. Paul Minneapolis area was home to roughly 50 Chinese who worked in Laundromats, restaurants, and stores (Aby 418). Until 1965 many faced immigration exclusion by United States policies. Those who found Due to the political events of the 1970's the largest Asian populations are Hmong, Vietnamese, Korean, and Chinese. Minnesota was home to a massive refugee movement from Southeast Asia, due partly because of the University of Minnesota’s work at coordinating the movement (Lass 151).
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 The Chinese American Experience in Minnesota |
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The Hispanic population, mostly of Mexican decent, were attracted to the area’s need for labor in fields and to fill labor shortages after World War one. The Chicano movement of the 60's and 70's were the source of increased attention to minority acceptance to the University of Minnesota and cultural activities of the Twin City area. Increase in problems in Mexico through the 1980's and the employment opportunities, and liberal welfare policies of Minnesota have helped to understand the large increase in Mexican population in the 1990's more unique to Minnesota. While St. Paul historically was home to more Mexican Americans, it was surpassed in 2000 by Minneapolis (Valdes 54). “Mexican immigrants made a strong and positive contribution to the economy through state, municipal, and social security taxes, while creating thousands of jobs for other Minnesotans, contrary to the charges of many uninformed critics.” (Valdes 58). Minneapolis began educational programs for Latino high school students, a minority group lower graduation rates and skills tests scores. |
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| Up until 1950 Minneapolis had only 426 Native American residents. Urbanization led an increase in the Minneapolis population, reaching 12,335 in Minneapolis as of 1990. In 1968 Minneapolis was home to the American Indian Movement to bring attention to treaty rights, sovereignty, and other issues. Since 1990 there was a loss of population and a return to the reservations (Lass 152).
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One of the most well known politicians of from representing the Nation, Minnesota, and Minneapolis was Hubert H. Humphrey. Humphrey was a co-founder of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer Labor Party and was elected Mayor of Minneapolis in both 1945 and 1947. He is known for his work on social reforms. These include Minneapolis policing, anti-Semitism, and racism towards African Americans.
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 Hubert H. Humphrey |
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Resources Used to Create This Page
Aby, Anne J. The North Star State. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2002.
Lass, William E. Minnesota a History. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, Inc., 1998.
Taylor, David Vassar. African Americans in Minnesota. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2002.
Valdes, Dionicio. Mexicans in Minnesota. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2005.
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| Created By Jessica Sager for Professor Freitag's Pols 350 class Group and Minority Politics |
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| Last Updated April 24, 2006 | |