This short monograph is based upon a popular Continuing Legal Education program I’ve presented a number of times. It takes a look at a number of interesting chapters in the history of Minnesota Territory and the early history of the State of Minnesota.
Lawyers generally don't think of themselves as historians, but we frequently do the work of historians. We seek out historical events (which we call "precedents") and try to apply these historical lessons to current situations. Minnesota's legal history has a long pedigree, dating back to the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. These antecedents give our laws a "chain of title" that is sometimes ignored. Some of the historical antecedents we'll look at are merely interesting "old cases" with little practical application. But others come under the heading of "venerable precedents", which can sometimes make an argument more compelling. And in a few cases, the law as it existed prior to statehood was arguably enshrined into the state constitution, in which case it takes on special significance.
I hope this book will be of interest to both lawyers and historians, and possibly of some practical application to lawyers.
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