 Following the admission of Wisconsin as a state in 1848 , the Minnesota area was temporarily without a government , though John Catlin , the former secretary of the Wisconsin Territory , claimed governorship of what remained of the territory as a short @-@ term measure . By this time Minnesota 's residents were largely Democrats and , as the U.S. Congress was at that time controlled by Democrats , they hoped Congress might be sympathetic to their concerns . In that same year a meeting was held in Stillwater , nominally led by Caitlin and later known as the " Stillwater Convention " , to discuss establishing a new territory . The participants elected Henry Sibley as a representative to Congress . 
 Following the admission of Wisconsin as a state in 1848 , the Minnesota area was temporarily without a government , though John Catlin , the former secretary of the Wisconsin Territory , claimed governorship of what remained of the territory as a short @-@ term measure . By this time Minnesota <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>residents <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> largely Democrats and , as the U.S. Congress was at that time controlled by Democrats , they hoped Congress might be sympathetic to their concerns . In that same year a meeting was held in Stillwater , nominally led by Caitlin and later known as the " Stillwater Convention " , to discuss establishing a new territory . The participants elected Henry Sibley as a representative to Congress . 
Following the admission of Wisconsin as a state in 1848 , the Minnesota area was temporarily without a government , tho John Catlin , da former secretary of tdaWisconsin Territory , claimed governorship of what remained of thdaerritory as a short @-@ term measure . By this time Minnesota  residents was largely Democrats and , as thedaS. Congress was at dat time controlled by Democrats , they hoped Congress mite be sympathetic to their concerns . In that same year a meeting was held in Stillwater , nominally led by Caitlin and later known as the datillwater Convention " , to discuss establishing a new territory . The pdaicipants elected Henry Sibley as a representative to Congress .