Look carefully at this painting from the 1850s. Click here for a larger version!
This painting, Fort Snelling, was created around 2006 by Minnesota artist David Geister. It imagines what Fort Snelling and Minnesota would have looked like in 1835--long before Geister was born--so this is a secondary source.
Think about this painting and how it connects to what you've learned about the newcomers in Minnesota. Then complete the sentence starters below.
Complete these THREE sentence starters about this drawing:
The first thing I notice about this picture is…
This picture is connected to this topic because…
This picture makes me wonder about...
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The first thing I notice about this picture is the prominent fort in the center. It appears to be a strong and sturdy structure, hinting at the importance of fortresses during this time period.
This picture is connected to the topic of newcomers in Minnesota because it depicts Fort Snelling, which was established by the United States Army to control the fur trade and establish dominance over the indigenous people. This suggests the presence of settlers and the impact they had on the region.
This picture makes me wonder about the interactions and relationships between the newcomers and the indigenous people. Did they peacefully coexist or was there conflict? How did the presence of the fort influence the dynamics of the area?