The democratic administration of Van Buren having given place to the whig government of Harrison, on the 25th of March, 1841, John Chambers was appointed territorial governor of Iowa to suc ceed Gov. Lucas. The latter, after retiring from office, removed to the land adjoining Iowa City, which he had purchased from the government when it was first brought into market, where he spent the most of his remaining days in the management of his farm, the care of his family and the education of his children.

Under Gov. Chambers' administration the capital was moved from Burlington to Iowa City. The propriety of assuming the responsibility of a state government was discussed at an early day; and this question was brought before the legislature, and on the sixteenth of February, 1842, a law was passed providing for a convention, and the taking of the necessary steps for the estab lishment of a state government. The convention was to consist of eighty-two members, and to meet on the first Monday of the next November; but before the law was to be in force it was to be submitted to the vote of the people.

But it seems that the people did not at that time feel disposed to assume the responsibility of a state government, for at the next election, the proposition was voted down. In the fall of this year there was another treaty held with the Sac and Fox Indians, at their agency, and on the eleventh of October, 1842, an agree ment was signed for the purchase of all their lands in Iowa. By the provisions of this treaty, the Indians retained the right to occupy all that part of their lands ceded, "which lies west of a line running due north and south from the Painted, or Red Rocks, on the White Breast fork of the Des Moines river, for the term of three years." In consideration of the grant of lands, the United States agreed to pay these nations, yearly, an interest of five per cent. on the sum of eight hundred thousand dollars, and pay all their debts which at that time amounted to two hundred and fifty-eight thousand, five hundred and sixty-six dollars and thirtyfour cents. As soon as it was known that this treaty had been made, there was a great rush of immigration to Iowa, and large numbers marked out and made temporary settlements near the boundary line of the Indian country, so as to be ready on the first day of the next May to move into the new purchase, and se

lect choice locations for their claims. The winter of 1842-3 was noted as the cold winter. Snow about a foot deep fell on the night of the ninth of November, most of which lay on the ground till the next April. During most of the winter the snow was from two to four feet deep, and a great portion of the time, the thermometer was about twenty degrees below zero.

At the commencement of the year 1842, there was a great crisis in money matters. Most of the banks through the country had suspended specie payments in the fall of 1840, and many of them at this time were afraid to make their accustomed loans; money everywhere became scarce and property went down in value faster than it had gone up, and it was almost impossible to sell at any price. In addition to the general crisis all over the country, early in the year 1842, all the Illinois, Wisconsin, and a great portion of the Michigan and other western banks failed. The loss sustained by the failure of banks, and the hard times occasioned by the general panic in the money market, created a great prejudice against all banks, and the sentiment prevailed to a great extent, in favor of a strictly hard currency; and this was made, to a certain extent, in many parts of the country, and particularly in the west, a political issue.

Provisions were made for a convention to form a constitution in 1844, and the convention met in October, in Iowa City, and formed a constitution. About the same time that Iowa sought to become a state, Florida formed a constitution, and made application for admission to the union, and on the third of March, 1845, congress passed an act admitting Florida and Iowa into the union as sovereign states; but the act curtailed the boundaries of Iowa, and instead of adopting the boundaries as defined in her constitution, enacted that they should "begin at the mouth of St. Peters river, thence up that river to the parallel of latitude, passing through the mouth of the Wakaton or Blue Earth river, thence west, along said parallel to a point where it is intersected by a meridian line seventeen and a half degrees west of Washington, thence due south to the state of Missouri, thence to the north line of that state till it strikes the Des Moines river, thence down that stream to the Mississippi, thence up the Mississippi to the place of beginning making the western boundary of Iowa on a line with the western

boundary of Missouri, and cutting off nearly all the western slope of the state, as the boundaries were subsequently established. The opponents of the constitution offered this curtailing of the state as a reason why the people should not adopt the constitutution. This argument seemed to have much force, especially with the whig party; and to counteract this opposition, brought to bear against adopting the constitution, Hon. Aug. C. Dodge, who was then the delegate of the territory in congress, prepared a circular and had it sent all over the territory, in which he gave it as his opinion, that Iowa could never get a better boundary than the one which had been given her by congress; but the constitution, contrary to the expectation of all leading democrats, was voted down. However, in 1845, provisions were made for another constitutional convention, which convened in Iowa City in May, 1846. Having framed a constitution, it was taken before the people, and adopted. Clark, who was the last territorial governor, upon receiving the official vote, adopting the constitution, issued his proclamation for an election of state officers and members of the legis lature.

This election was carried on with a great deal of spirit on both sides, but the democrats succeeded in electing all the state officers and a majority of the representatives in the senate, but were not so fortunate in electing members to the house. For governor, Ansel Briggs received 7,626 votes, and Thos. McKnight, 7,379

votes.

TERRITORY OF MINNESOTA.

OUR SKETCHES of the territorial history of Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska, are necessarily very brief in order to give place to other matters of greater interest. The state of Minnesota derives its name from an Indian word, signifying "sky-tintedwater." The territory was first entered by a Frenchman named Daniel Gregsolon du Luth, in 1678. In 1679, Father Hennepin, and two others, who had formed a part of La Salle's expedition, spoken of in previous chapters, accompanied the Indians to their village, 180 miles above the Falls of St. Anthony. Ten years later the territory was taken possession of in the name of the French king, by Perrot and his companions. They built a fort

on the shore of lake Pepin, just above its entrance. "In 1695, a second fort was built by Le Sueur, on an island in the Mississippi, just below the mouth of the St. Croix. In 1700, he built a fort on the Minnesota. The fur traders now came into the territory in great numbers, but no permanent settlement was made for purposes of colonization. In 1763, Capt. Jonathan Carver, of Çonnecticut, visited Minnesota, and published a description of the country. In 1800, that part of the present state of Minnesota lying east of the Mississippi river was included in the territory of Indiana. In 1803, the purchase of Louisiana placed the United States in possession of the lands west of the Mississippi. Fort Snelling was erected in 1819, and garrisoned by the United States. The territory was already the seat of an active trade with the Indians, and the government had some trouble in enforcing its regulations among the traders. Minnesota was explored in 1820 by Gen. Lewis Cass, and in 1823 by Maj. Long. A third exploring party was sent out in 1832, under Henry R. Schoolcraft, who discovered the source of the Mississippi river. Frequent surveys and explorations were made after this, until the region became very well known. In 1842, the town of St. Paul was founded, and emigrants commenced to settle in the territory. In 1849, the territory of Minnesota was organized by congress. The population was estimated at 4,857 souls, and one half of the lands included in the new territory were still the property of the Indians. Emigrants came in fast, however, and in 1857, the population was ascertained by a census to be 150,037. In 1856, congress authorized the people of the territory to form a state constitution, which was done, and on the 11th day of May, 1858, Minnesota was admitted into the Union as a sovereign state."*

* Great Republic.

Early Kansas - Gov. Reeder - The Kansas-Nebraska Act Territorial Conflicts of Kansas Slavery Agitation Kansas made a State.

BY THE passage of the Kansas-Nebraska bill, the territorial government of Kansas was established. This was in 1854. When the territory was organized, the only inhabitants within its boundaries, except Indians, were a few traders, missionaries and Indian agents. Up to this time the western border of Missouri was considered the outline of civilization. In the early part of May, 1854, before the territory was thrown open to settlement, the people from the western border of Missouri hastened over the line to occupy the best portions of the country. In this way settlers soon became numerous, and in the spring of 1854, meetings were held among the squatters at which resolutions similar to the following were passed:

WHEREAS, We the citizens of Kansas territory and many other citizens of the adjoining state of Missouri, contemplating a squatter's home on the plains of said territory, are assembled at Salt Creek Valley for the purpose of taking such steps as will secure safety and fairness in the location and preservation of claims. Therefore,

Be it resolved: "1st. That we are in favor of a bona fule squatter sovereignty, and acknowledge the right of any citizens of the United States to make a claim in Kansas territory, ultimately with the view of occupying it.

"2d. That such claim, when made, shall be held inviolate so long as a bona fide intention of occupying it is apparent, and for the purpose of protecting and defending such claim, we agree to act in concert, if necessary to expel intruders.

"3d. That every person of lawful age who may be at the head of a family, who shall mark out his claim of 160 acres, so that it