First published in 1970, this volume from Mrs Harriet E. Bishop McConkey, a pioneer schoolteacher of St. Paul, Minnesota, was part of the first wave of contemporaneous accounts from Americans in 1863 documenting their perspective of the Sioux Uprising between the 17th of August and the 26th of September 1862. At least 450 settlers and soldiers were killed, depopulating large areas. Although not a direct eyewitness to events, Harriet McConkey was on the fringes of the action in St. Paul and gathered material firsthand from the participants themselves, enabling her to convey the settlers' story with profound emotional involvement and intimacy, though with equally profound bitterness for the Native Americans. McConkey made little attempt to explore their motivations in the form of famine, late payment and poor treatment. Though imperfect, hers remains an important account documenting the settlers' experience of the event which began a succession of wars over thirty years, ending at Wounded Knee, South Dakota in 1890.

This work chronicles the remarkable experiences of a young teacher, Harriet Bishop, who witnessed the earliest settlement in the territory known as Minnesota. Her work is interesting because it was published in 1857. Minnesota was not granted statehood until 1858. Written in a narrative format, this work includes portraits of prominent people, illustrations of vast expansive landscapes, poetry and a new fullname index. Bishop discusses issues from the perspective of an observer. Some topics she addresses include: the trafficking of alcohol, religion as central to pioneer life, the infancy of the lumber industry, and the importance of the role of women in America's future as a nation. This work is insightful and enlightening, and Bishop gives the attention to detail necessary to create an accurate picture of what the experiences she is describing, involved. Some of the topics discussed are: The First Explorations, The First Traders and Missionaries, Fort Snelling, St. Paul, First Canoe Ride, Indian Character, Burial Rites, Indian Dance, Courting, The First School House, Rum's Doing, Religious Efforts and Progress, The Climate, Natural Resources, Making Claims, Produce and Advance, Lake Minnetonka, St. Croix Valley, St. Anthony's Falls, Minneapolis, Maiden's Rock, New Towns on the Upper Mississippi, Inhabitants of Pembina, Great Thoroughfares, Indian Tribes, The Wakan Man, The Winnebagoes, The Chippewas, The Minnesota River, Purchase of Sioux Lands, The Minnesota Valley, Southern Minnesota, and Close of 1856.

This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.

This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.