Governor Dayton's Repudiation of Governor Ramsey's Words About Extermination and Exile

5min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

Minnesota's Governor Mark Dayton said he was appalled by Governor Ramsey's words in 1862. The history of every place is more complicated than the people who live there like to believe, says historian Julian Zelizer. In his home state of North Carolina, up to one third of the white people were pro-union during the Civil War, writes Zelizer.

Growing up in Mankato, Minnesota, John Biewen heard next to nothing about the town’s most important historical event. In 1862, Mankato was the site of the largest mass execution in U.S. history – the hanging of 38 Dakota warriors – following one of the major wars between Plains Indians and settlers. In this documentary, originally produced for This American Life, John goes back to Minnesota to explore what happened, and why Minnesotans didn’t talk about it afterwards.

Image: The Minnesota State Seal, 1858

Key sources for this episode:

Gwen Westerman, Mni Sota MakoceMary Wingerd, North Country: The Making of Minnesota