On This Date in Minnesota History: August 4

August 4, 1854 – “Congress approved legislation guaranteeing preemption for Minnesota settlers squatting on lands that had not been surveyed. This act, sponsored by delegate Henry H. Sibley, allowed settlers to purchase their land after the fact of settlement.”
http://www.thehistorypeople.com/data/docs/timeline-part1.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Henry_Hastings_Sibley2.jpg