Outline of North Dakota territorial evolution facts for kids

A map of the United States after the Treaty of Paris in 1789

Have you ever wondered how the land that makes up North Dakota became part of the United States? This article explores the exciting story of how North Dakota's borders and ownership changed over hundreds of years. It's a journey through history, showing how different countries and governments claimed and shaped this important region.

Early Claims: European Powers Arrive

Before it became a U.S. state, the land of North Dakota was claimed by several European countries. These claims often overlapped, leading to interesting historical events.

British Claims: Rupert's Land

• Rupert's Land was a huge territory claimed by the United Kingdom from 1670 to 1870. This area included parts of what is now North Dakota.
• The British claim was mainly through the Hudson's Bay Company, which was involved in the fur trade.
• The Anglo-American Convention of 1818 helped define the border between the U.S. and British North America. This agreement set the 49th parallel as the northern boundary of the U.S., which is still the border today.

French Claims: Louisiane

• Louisiane was a vast territory claimed by France starting in 1682. It stretched from the Great Lakes down to the Gulf of Mexico, including much of North Dakota.
• French explorers and traders were the first Europeans to explore this region.
• In 1762, France secretly transferred Louisiane to Spain through the Treaty of Fontainebleau of 1762. This happened during the Seven Years' War.

Spanish Claims: Luisiana

• After the secret treaty, Spain controlled the territory, calling it Luisiana, from 1764 to 1803.
• Spanish rule meant new laws and influences in the region.
• However, Spain later returned Luisiana to France in 1800 with the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso. This treaty was also kept secret for a while.

France's Brief Return and the Louisiana Purchase

• France briefly regained control of Louisiane in 1803.
• But Napoleon Bonaparte, the leader of France, needed money for his wars.
• He decided to sell the entire territory to the United States. This massive sale is known as the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. It nearly doubled the size of the young United States!

Becoming Part of the United States

Once the United States bought the Louisiana Territory, the land that would become North Dakota began its journey to statehood. It went through several stages of being an "unorganized territory" or part of larger territories.

Early U.S. Territories

• Unorganized territory (1803–1804): Right after the Louisiana Purchase, the land was simply part of the new U.S. acquisition without a formal government.
• District of Louisiana (1804–1805): This was the first official U.S. administrative division for the area.
• Territory of Louisiana (1805–1812): The district was upgraded to a territory, giving it a more formal government structure.
• Territory of Missouri (1812–1821): As more people moved west, the Territory of Louisiana was renamed the Territory of Missouri. This included most of North Dakota.
• Unorganized territory (1821–1854): After Missouri became a state, the northwestern part of the Missouri Territory, including North Dakota, became unorganized again.
  • The Treaty of Fort Laramie of 1851 was signed during this time. It aimed to define tribal lands for Native American nations in the region.

Territories East of the Missouri River

• Parts of North Dakota, especially east of the Missouri River, were also included in other territories for short periods:
  • Territory of Michigan (1834–1836): A small eastern section was part of Michigan Territory.
  • Territory of Wisconsin (1836–1838): After Michigan became a state, this eastern part joined Wisconsin Territory.
  • Territory of Iowa (1838–1846): Then, it became part of Iowa Territory.
  • Territory of Minnesota (1849–1858): Finally, before North Dakota became its own territory, the eastern part was included in Minnesota Territory.

Territory of Nebraska and the Dakota Territory

• Territory of Nebraska (1854–1861): The western part of North Dakota was included in the Nebraska Territory.
• Territory of Dakota (1861–1889): This was a major step! The Dakota Territory was created in 1861. It was a huge area that included what is now North Dakota, South Dakota, and parts of Montana and Wyoming.
• Over time, parts of the Dakota Territory were split off to form other territories, like the Montana Territory.

North Dakota Becomes a State

• State of North Dakota (since November 2, 1889): Finally, on November 2, 1889, the Dakota Territory was divided into two states: North Dakota and South Dakota. Both officially joined the United States on the same day! This was a big moment, giving North Dakota its own state government and full representation in the U.S.

Images for kids

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  An enlargeable map of the United States after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803

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  An enlargeable map of the United States after the Anglo-American Convention of 1818

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  An enlargeable map of the United States after the Dakota Organic Act of 1861

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  An enlargeable map of the United States after the Montana Organic Act of 1864

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  An enlargeable map of the United States after North Dakota statehood in 1889

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  An enlargeable map of the United States as it has been since 1959