Confluence: A History of Fort Snelling

by Hampton Smith

Fort Snelling, a foundational place in the story of Minnesota, was built 200 years ago at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers, an area known to the Dakota people as Bdote. For millennia, Bdote has been a vital and sacred place for the native peoples of the region. It is also the "birthplace of Minnesota," the site where citizens of the United States first lived in what is now Minnesota. The fort's history encompasses the intersection of these peoples—and many others.


In this book, historian Hampton Smith delves into Fort Snelling's long and complicated its construction as an improbably enormous structure, the daily lives of its inhabitants and those who lived nearby, the shift in its function when a spectacular influx of speculators and land-hungry immigrants flooded the territory, its participation in wresting the land from the Dakota, and its evolution as two cities grew up around it, its roles in two world wars—up to the reinterpretation of the fort as Minnesotans mark its 200th anniversary.


Illustrated throughout with artwork and photographs as well as maps and artifacts, this book is a comprehensive history of an important and controversial Minnesota landmark.

Genres: History

270 pages, Hardcover

Published September 28, 2021

Reviews

[Jessica Laabs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-documented account which acknowledges the complexities of the history surrounding Fort Snelling and its influence not just on Minnesota history, but on settlement of America’s western reaches. I am curious to know the reactions to this book of those of Dakota descent.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an historic account of Minnesota's Fort Snelling. Richly illustrated too. While I knew a lot of the history covered, it helped fill in the gaps and gave new information on our state's "founders." I want to say it's well-researched, and would have until I reached a sidebar regarding gay men at the fort. In a book that is so inclusive, showing how the fort affected so many communities, the "gay" sidebar struck me as offensive / stereotypical, and quite frankly, I believe there's research / documentation on gays in the military than the author would lead us to believe. So this made me wonder if there were other items that were offensive to other communities. One of those things that was "hey, thanks for including us, but it would have been better to have said nothing." Certainly not a fan of "don't ask, don't tell," but quite a yucky quote. I just couldn't go with with a 5 for this Minnesota Book Award winner.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice overview of the history of fort snelling throughout the different eras if it's history

[Andrew Heintz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting and comprehensive account of the history surrounding Fort Snelling.