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SETTLEMENT Era
Can you discover what brought people to the rugged plains? How is your lifestyle different from that of the settlers that came to North Dakota?
Here you will learn how historians interpret PHOTOGRAPHS. Use my 'HOW TO' to learn this part of the Historian's Craft, then practice what you have learned in my ACTIVITY.
Browse my ARCHIVES to collect information for your history project, or take the Era TOUR to learn more about this time in history.
Are you taking my History Challenge?
Don't forget to record your findings in MY FILES.
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Settlers came to Dakota Territory with a dream of owning land at a very low cost. Ox carts, steamboats, and stagecoaches were all a part of settling the rugged prairie lands of
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North Dakota, but it wasn’t until the introduction of the “Iron Horse” that most immigrants made their way to the territory.
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To promote the development of the territory, the railroads engaged in extensive land campaigns, that advertised North Dakota as a land of rich soil and great opportunities for wealth. Along with federal programs such as the Homestead Act, the plains of Dakota Territory soon became spotted with sod houses and small communities. On November 2, 1889, North Dakota became the 39th state in the Union.
Statehood brought about a population boom, economic growth, and political reform. Outside control of politics and economics was a growing concern to many. Political boss Alexander McKenzie controlled the legislature and the governor. Agriculture was the dominant force in North Dakota and “Wheat was King”. The last year of the period saw the formation of the Non-partisan League, a force that would change the political scene for years to come.
How did “Iron Horses”, cheap land, and political bosses shape what is now North Dakota? Tour the era, to find out more.
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This hands-on activity will help 
