History of North Dakota


 * For Elwyn B. Robinson's 1966 book coving this topic, see .



was first settled by several thousand years ago. The major tribes in the area by the time of settlement were the, , , , and.

By the time European trade goods were making their way through native trade routes, the Mandan had developed a notably advanced agricultural and trading society.

was one of the first Europeans to explore the area. He visited the Mandan area around 1738 and was astounded by their level of development. Limited trade with European powers followed through the end of the century.

The Mandan villages played a key role in the native trade networks because of their location and permanency. Their location at the northernmost reaches of the placed them near the closest portages to the  basin and thus the fastest access to French and British traders. Additionally, valuable  was produced not far from the villages.

Early 19th century
spent the winter of 1804-1805 in a fort they constructed near present-day.

In the 1820s, much of the native population was wiped out by a, forcing the Mandan and Hidatsa to live together. Later, the Arikara would be forced northward by the Sioux, and would join together with the Mandan and Hidatsa to form the.

The first European settlement in the state was at. It was used as a trading post by, but the post was taken down in 1823 after the 49th parallel was surveyed following the. The area was later resettled by.

Fur trading spurred the development of riverboat trade on the Missouri towards the middle of the century. and near present-day  became significant ports of call during the steamboat age. Most of North Dakota would be settled later.

Late 19th century
The railroads were the engine of settlement in the state. Major development occurred in the 1870s and 1880s. In 1861, the area that is now North Dakota was incorporated into the new along with what is now. On, North Dakota and  became separate states.

20th century
During the early 20th century, North Dakota's politics was generally dominated by the. Progressive politics was not a factor in North Dakota politics until the 1910s, when a group known as the was formed, which ran Progressive candidates in the primaries against Republicans. These reformers succeeded in pushing through a well-defined socialist program, with features that remain in place to this day (i.e., a state-owned bank and state-owned mill and elevator). At least two governors were NPLers. By the 1950s, the NPL had developed into just another part of the political establishment in North Dakota. Had it not been for a group of youthful insurgents that swung the NPL into the Democratic column, the NPL would have lost touch entirely with its liberal roots.

While the governorship of the state has been held approximately the same amount of time by both parties since the party was formed in 1956, the state legislature has been dominated by Republicans. Both the North Dakota's Senators ( and ) are members of the Democratic-NPL party as is North Dakota's sole congressman,.

21st century
At the beginning of the 21st century, North Dakota is experiencing demographic and economic decline. The population of the state is aging, both from a rise in life expectancy, and an exodus of younger people, particularly families. The state struggles with a lack of venture capital and high wage positions. North Dakota also struggles with its image, or lack thereof, in the United States as a whole.

Robinson's Themes in North Dakota History
In his , historian identified themes in North Dakota history:


 * Remoteness
 * Dependence
 * Radicalism
 * Economic disadvantage
 * The "too-much mistake"
 * Adjustment

Robinson's history is to date the only comprehensive history of the state, but his analysis has drawn fire. His assertion of a "too-much mistake" in particular, is controversial; some politicians, including, blame the book for (un)inspiring a generation of leaders to lower their expectations for the state's future.