Viewing Douglas A. Hedin: "Lawyers and Booster Literature in the Early Territorial Period."

Douglas A. Hedin: "Lawyers and Booster Literature in the Early Territorial Period."

On June 21, 1851, the "St. Anthony Express" published an editorial, "Who are Wanted in Minnesota," in which it promoted the Territory of Minnesota and described the types of settlers who were wanted there--farmers, mechanics, ministers, young ladies, and lawyers.

This article is about why lawyers were wanted in Minnesota in the late 1840s and early 1850s. It describes the many roles they filled in pioneer settlements. It examines lawyers who wrote "booster literature" and suggests reasons why they were good at it. It concludes with the hypothesis that boosters wanted lawyers in the newly formed territory because they helped form stable communities that could attract foreign investors.

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