A Popular History of Minnesota
by Norman K. Risjord
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Description
What do Paul Bunyan, Charles Lindbergh, and Jesse Ventura have in common? Minnesota, of course! In A Popular History of Minnesota, historian Norman K. Risjord offers a grand tour of the state's remarkable history. This highly readable volume details everything from the glacial formation of the land to the arrival of the Dakota and the Ojibwe people, from Minnesota's contributions to the Northern cause during the Civil War to the key players in reform politics who helped sculpt the identity show more the state retains today. A Popular History of Minnesota highlights the historical significance of Minnesota's natural resources--the bountiful north woods, the treasured iron ranges, the impressive Mississippi waterfall on which the Mill City was built. It details the powerful marks left on the state by such luminous figures as Oliver H. Kelley, founder of the national Grange movement, Hubert H. Humphrey, champion of civil rights, and Betty Crocker, aid to homemakers everywhere. Lively side trips outline noteworthy subjects, from the Kensington runestone to the devastating forest fires of the 1890s and 1920s, from the rise of the Mayo Clinic to the preservation of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Handy travelers' guides highlight historic destinations for readers who enjoy seeing where history happened. Fast-paced and informative, with generous illustrations, A Popular History of Minnesota is a must-read for newcomers and established Minnesotans alike. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
waltzmn Norman Risjord's history of Minnesota is breezy and brief -- a good casual read. Those who want something more substantial, with better documentation, cannot hope to do better than Theodore Blegen's magisterial, if rather older, volume.
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Author Information
24+ Works 329 Members
Norman K. Risjord is a professor emeritus of history at the University of Wisconsin. He is the author of numerous books, including, most recently, A Popular History of Minnesota and Shining Big Sea Water: The Story of Lake Superior.
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2005
- People/Characters
- Ignatius Donnelly; Hubert Humphrey; Charles A. Lindbergh; Floyd B. Olson, Governor of Minnesota; Alexander Ramsey; Henry H. Sibley (show all 8); Little Crow; Cadwallader Washburn
- Important places
- Fort Snelling, Minnesota, USA; Grand Portage, Minnesota, USA; Mississippi River, USA; St. Anthony Falls, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; St. Paul, Minnesota, USA (show all 8); Minnesota, USA; USA
- Important events
- Dakota War of 1862
- Dedication
- To Barbara
a true Daughter of the Middle Border
With Love - First words
- Preface -- The idea of a brief, fast-paced trip through Minnesota's past was suggested to me by Gregory Britton, director of the Minnesota Historical Society Press.
1
Of Ice and Early Man
When the first settlers cleared land for farms in Minnesota in the early part of the nineteenth century, they noticed that the soil abounded with smooth, round stones of the sort usually found in ... (show all)streams and lakeshores. - Original language
- English
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 42
- Popularity
- 704,143
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
- 1
