The Minnesota Territory was established in 1849, carved out of the larger Iowa Territory. It included present-day Minnesota and parts of North Dakota and South Dakota. The territory was created to facilitate settlement and governance in the region, which was sparsely populated at the time. The capital was initially located in St. Paul, which later became the state capital when Minnesota achieved statehood in 1858. The territory was home to various Indigenous peoples, including the Dakota and Ojibwe tribes, who had lived in the area for centuries. As settlers arrived, conflicts arose over land and resources. The Minnesota Territory played a crucial role in the westward expansion of the United States, leading to significant changes in the region's demographics and culture.