St. Paul was not supposed to be the seat of government in Minnesota Territory. 

Land grabs, purchased elections, and alcohol determined the course of history in 1850s Minnesota. Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant and Alexander Ramsey introduce themselves to our story in this chapter, and the dreams of both men changed the lives of countless Minnesotans for generations. For one, their ambition was to lead a wealthy new territory to statehood; for the other, it was to sell alcoholic beverages in peace. How a booze port became the capital of a U.S. territory, and the breakdown of possibly the most absurd election in Minnesota history are explained in this chapter of North Country. 

Sam Temple and Logan Ledman discuss and explain Chapter Seven of North Country, by Mary Lethert Wingerd.

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