== Introduction == 

 Comments on the Featured Article candidacy indicate the introduction may be too long.  Here is my suggested revision (text only): 
 :The history of Minnesota is the human history of the U.S. state of Minnesota from the earliest human settlement to the present day.  It tells the story of a land shaped by the influences of both its original Native American settlers and more recent European immigrants.  In the past several centuries the state’s economy has transitioned from one based on extractive industries such as fur trading,  logging, agriculture, and mining all made possible by abundant natural resources, to today’s diverse economy with particular emphases on banking, computers, and health care, while logging, farming, and mining remain prominent. 

 :The first people came to the region during the last Ice Age, following herds of game. The Anishinaabe, the Sioux, and the other Native American inhabitants of the region represent the descendants of these first early settlers. European presence began with the arrival of French fur traders in the 1600s. During the 1800s most of the Native American population was driven out as American settlers moved westward.   Fort Snelling was built between 1819 and 1825 as a frontier outpost to protect United States territorial interests at the time.  The protected Saint Anthony Falls, upstream from the fort, to which early settlers came to use the waterfall for powering sawmills.  The fort also attracted settlers to a downriver settlement which became Saint Paul.  Minnesota Territory was organized in 1849, and on May 11, 1858,  Minnesota became the 32nd US state.  

 :Shortly after statehood came the American Civil War and the Sioux Uprising.  Following these disruptions the state entered into an era of intense growth, with immigrants attracted by opportunities in logging and agriculture.  The construction of railroads in the late 19th century helped to attract immigrants, establish the farm economy, and bring goods to market.  Minneapolis grew up next to Saint Anthony Falls and the water power from the falls, coupled with innovations in milling methods, enabled the city to become the “flour miller to the nation”. 

 :The discovery of huge deposits of high-grade iron ore in northern Minnesota at the end of the 19th century led to the development of that part of the state.  The ore was mined relatively easily from open pit mines and shipped to Great Lakes steel mills via ports at Duluth and Two Harbors.  The development of the flour milling and mining industries, along with other changes in the economy, resulted in population shifts from rural areas into central cities.  Economic development and social changes led to a more prominent role for the state government. 

 :The effects of the Great Depression were felt with layoffs in the iron mining industry and with trouble in labor relations, but New Deal programs brought relief to the state.  After World War II, Minnesota companies such Sperry Rand, Honeywell and Control Data started the high-tech sector.  The Twin Cities also became a regional center for arts and culture with several cultural institutions such as the Guthrie Theater, Minnesota Orchestra, and the Walker Art Center. 

 It squeezes the equivalent of a paragraph out of the present text.  If the authors of this article feel it it useful, please use it.