State Capitols – St. Paul, Minnesota – Inside

The land that is now the state of Minnesota came to us in stages. The eastern part was acquired after we won independence from Britain. The rest was part of the Louisiana Purchase from France.

Grand Staircase, Minnesota Capitol, St. Paul (24 September 2009)

Of course, the territory was occupied by indigenous people for thousands of years. The first Europeans to visit were French explorers and missionaries from Canada in the late 1600’s. Once the United States acquired the territory, our westward expansion did what it did. Settlers poured in, especially from northern Europe which was rocked by the Revolutions of 1848. While these liberal democratic uprisings largely failed, they resulted in the exodus of people who settled in the upper Midwest and gave the region its more progressive leanings that have held (for the most part) to the present day. For instance, Minnesota has the nation’s largest Somali population and the second-largest Hmong community in America. Like Garrison Keillor alleged, “Where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking and all the children are above average.”

Rotunda, Minnesota Capitol, St. Paul (24 September 2009)

We’ve been through the westward expansion / Manifest Destiny story before. Present-day Minnesota was part of the Wisconsin Territory from1836-48, after which the eastern part became the Badger State. The Minnesota Territory formally existed from 1849 to 1858 when the eastern part became the state and the western portion became the Dakota Territory. Westward Ho!

Of the lower forty-eight, Minnesota is the furthest north...with that bump-out that is the only U.S. territory north of the 49th parallel. The extra land was codified after we and Britain realized the 1783 border agreement was based on faulty maps.

Minnesota Capitol, St. Paul (24 September 2009)

Recognizing that the French-Canadian explorers were the first Europeans here, the state motto, “L’Etoile du Nord,” ‘The Star of the North’ is the only state motto in French.

Sadly, the presence of down-facing spotlights and the roped-off central star directly below the rotunda foiled any attempt to capture the balanced design pleasure of a straight-up shot.

Minnesota Senate (24 September 2009)

Like most state legislatures, Minnesota’s is bicameral (Latin for ‘two chambers’). The state is divided into 67 districts. One senator is elected from each district and serves a four-year term.

Minnesota House of Representatives (24 September 2009)

Each district is divided into an ‘A’ and ‘B’ section so two representatives from each district (134 total) serve two-year terms.

‘Minnesota Spirit of Government,’ by Carlo Brioschi [1938]

Minnesota House of Representatives (24 September 2009)

Above and behind the Speaker’s rostrum was originally a seating gallery. In 1938, the area was walled off to create more working space. This, in turn, created a platform for more representative art. Painted plaster figures depict French explorers on one side and native original residents on the other side of the heroic female ‘Minnesota’ who pretty much dominates the confrontation. The large lettering midway up the space, “VOX POPULORUM EST VOX DEI” means, “The voice of the people is the voice of God.” (One might riff on just whose people and whose god this refers to...but I won’t)

Ceiling Detail, Minnesota House of Representatives, (24 September 2009)

The last shot is a favorite from the House chamber. The skylight and ceiling trim are spectacular. I thought this composition with segments of both did the trick. Given the capitol was renovated since these pictures were taken, I must return. Since my sister lives nearby, this will be easy.