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North Dakota was first settled by
Native Americans several thousand years ago. The
major tribes in the area by the time of settlement
were the Mandan,
Hidatsa,
Arikara, Sioux, and
Chippewa.
By the time
European trade goods were making their way through native
trade routes, the Mandan had developed a notably advanced
agricultural and trading society.
La
Vérendrye was one of the first Europeans to explore the
area. He visited the Mandan area around 1738 and was
astounded by their level of development. Limited trade with
European powers followed through the end of the century.
The Mandan
villages played a key role in the native trade networks
because of their location and permanency. Their location at
the northernmost reaches of the
Missouri River placed them near the closest portages to
the Hudson Bay basin and thus the
fastest access to French and British traders. Additionally,
valuable Knife River
flint was produced not far from the
villages.
Early 19th century
Lewis and Clark spent the
winter of 1804-1805 in a fort they constructed near
present-day Washburn.
In the
1820s, much of the native population was wiped out by a
smallpox
epidemic,
forcing the Mandan and Hidatsa to live together. Later, the
Arikara would be forced northward by the Sioux, and would
join together with the Mandan and Hidatsa to form the
Three Affiliated Tribes.
The first
European settlement in the state was at
Pembina. It was used as
a trading post by Hudson's
Bay Company, but the post was taken down in 1823 after
the 49th parallel was surveyed following the
Treaty of 1818. The area was
later resettled by Métis.
Fur trading
spurred the development of riverboat trade on the Missouri
towards the middle of the century.
Bismarck and
Fort Union near present-day
Williston became
significant ports of call during the steamboat age. Most of
North Dakota would be settled later.
Late 19th century
The
railroads were the engine of settlement in the state. Major
development occurred in the 1870s and 1880s. In 1861, the
area that is now North Dakota was incorporated into the new
Dakota Territory along with
what is now South Dakota. On
November 2, 1889,
North Dakota and South Dakota
became separate states.
20th century
During the
early 20th century, North Dakota's politics was generally
dominated by the
United States Republican Party. Progressive politics was
not a factor in North Dakota politics until the 1910s, when
a group known as the
Non-Partisan League was formed, which ran Progressive
candidates in the primaries against Republicans. These
reformers succeeded in pushing through a well-defined
socialist program, with features that remain in place to
this day (i.e., a state-owned bank and state-owned mill and
elevator). At least two governors were NPLers. By the 1950s,
the NPL had developed into just another part of the
political establishment in North Dakota. Had it not been for
a group of youthful insurgents that swung the NPL into the
Democratic column, the NPL would have lost touch entirely
with its liberal roots.
While the
governorship of the state has been held approximately the
same amount of time by both parties since the
Democratic-NPL party was
formed in 1956, the state legislature has been dominated by
Republicans. Both the North Dakota's Senators (Kent
Conrad and Byron Dorgan) are
members of the Democratic-NPL party as is North Dakota's
sole congressman, Earl Pomeroy.
21st century
At the
beginning of the 21st century, North Dakota is experiencing
demographic and economic decline. The population of the
state is aging, both from a rise in life expectancy, and an
exodus of younger people, particularly families. The state
struggles with a lack of venture capital and high wage
positions. North Dakota also struggles with its image, or
lack thereof, in the United States as a whole.
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