 Stephen A. Douglas ( D ) , the chair of the United States Senate Committee on Territories , drafted the bill authorizing the Minnesota Territory in 1848 . He had envisioned a future for the upper Mississippi valley , so he was motivated to keep the area from being carved up by neighboring territories . In 1846 , he had prevented Iowa from including Fort Snelling and Saint Anthony Falls within its northern border . In 1847 , he kept the organizers of Wisconsin from including Saint Paul and Saint Anthony Falls . The Minnesota Territory was established from the lands remaining from Iowa Territory and Wisconsin Territory on March 3 , 1849 . The Minnesota Territory extended far into what is now North Dakota and South Dakota , to the Missouri River . There was a dispute over the shape of the state to be carved out of Minnesota Territory . An alternate proposal that was only narrowly defeated would have made the 46th parallel the state 's northern border and the Missouri River its western border , thus giving up the whole northern half of the state in exchange for the eastern half of what later became South Dakota . 
 Stephen A. Douglas ( D ) , the chair of the United States Senate Committee on Territories , drafted the bill authorizing the Minnesota Territory in 1848 . He <a href='been_done' title='1'><mark>had</mark></a> envisioned a future for the upper Mississippi valley , so he was motivated to keep the area from being carved up by neighboring territories . In 1846 , he <a href='been_done' title='2'><mark>had</mark></a> prevented Iowa from including Fort Snelling and Saint Anthony Falls within its northern border . In 1847 , he kept the organizers of Wisconsin from including Saint Paul and Saint Anthony Falls . The Minnesota Territory was established from the lands remaining from Iowa Territory and Wisconsin Territory on March 3 , 1849 . The Minnesota Territory extended far into what is now North Dakota and South Dakota , to the Missouri River . <a href='dey_it' title='3'><mark>There</mark></a> was a dispute over the shape of the state to be carved out of Minnesota Territory . An alternate proposal <a href='null_relcl' title='4'><mark>that</mark></a>was only narrowly defeated would <a href='been_done' title='5'><mark>have</mark></a> made the 46th parallel the state <a href='null_genetive' title='6'><mark>'s</mark></a>northern border and the Missouri River its western border , thus giving up the whole northern half of the state in exchange for the eastern half of what later became South Dakota . 
Stephen A. Douglas ( D ) , the chair of da United States Senate Committee on Territories , drafted tdabill authorizing the Minnesota Territory in 1848 . He done envisioned a future fir the upper Mississippi valley , so he was motivated to keep thdarea from being carved up by neighboring territories . In 1846 , he done prevented Iowa from including Fort Snelling and Saint Anthony Falls within its northern border . In 1847 , he kept thedaganizers of Wisconsin from including Saint Paul and Saint Anthony Falls . The Minnesota Territory was established from the dads remaining from Iowa Territory and Wisconsin Territory on March 3 , 1849 . The Minnesota Territory extended far into wat is now North Dakota and South Dakota , to the Mdaouri River . It was a dispute ova the shda of the stadato be carved out of Minnesota Territory . An alternate proposal was only narrowly defeated would done made the 46thdarallel the state  northern border and the Missoda River its western border , thus giving up the whole northern half of the state in exchange for the easterdaalf of what later became South Dakota .