Minnesota Colonial Records

History
Claimed by France in 1671, forts were established in the Minnesota area from 1686-1762. In 1762, the area was ceded to France, and then to Great Britain in 1763. It was controlled by British fur traders in the Northwest Company from 1763-1819, except a small portion ceded to the United States in 1783, and another part acquired in the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.

Additional Readings

 * Tracing Your Ancestors in Minnesota, French and Canadian: A Brief Outline by Wiley R. Pope. (Saint Paul: The Pope Family Association, 1979, fiche 6105012).
 * Minnesota in Three Centuries, 1655-1908 by Lucius F. Hubbard, William P. Murray, and James H. Baker. (New York: Publication Society of Minnesota, 1908, film 1036696).
 * The History of Minnesota from the Earliest French Explorations to the Present Time by Edward D. Neill. )Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1858). Available digitally.
 * Minnesota Biographies, 1655-1912. Collections of the Minnesota Historical Society by Warren Upham and Rose Barteau Dunlap. Vol. XIV (Saint Paul: Minnesota Historical Society, 1912).
 * The Fur Trade in Minnesota: An Introductory Guide to Manuscript Sources by Bruce M. White. (Saint Paul: Minnesota Historical Society, 1977).