This Unit Includes the Following MN Social Studies Standards Benchmarks

• Describe how and why the United States claimed and settled the upper Mississippi River region in the early nineteenth century; explain the impact of steamboat transportation and settlment on the physical, social and cultural landscapes.
  
• Describe the process of how Minnesota became a territory and state; identify the key events, individuals and groups involved in the process.
  
• Identify the major Minnesota political figures, ideas and industries that have shaped or continue to shape Minnesota and the United States today.
• Create and use various kinds of maps, including overlaying thematic maps, of places in Minnesota; incorporate the "TODALSS" map basics, as well as points, lines, and colored areas to display spatial information.
• Locate, identify and describe major physical features in Minnesota; explain how physical features and the location of resources affect settlement patterns and the growth of cities in different parts of Minnesota.
• Describe how land was used during different time periods in Minnesota history; explain how and why land use has changed over time.