"In 1917, the state created the Commission on Public Safety. The seven-member commission was appointed by Gov. J.A.A. Burnquist. The commission was all-powerful and reported only to itself. The members suspended civil rights, set up an armed militia and created a network of spies." -Dan Olson for Minnesota Public Radio, 2005
Because of its large German-American population, WWI was extremely unpopular in Minnesota. The Minnesota Commission on Public Safety worked to silence the anti-war protests. "Historians and the archival records recount how the commission created a county-level network of spies, and hired Pinkerton agents to attend meetings and events organized by the state's German-Americans and other ethnic groups. The agents reported back that the worries about violent protests were baseless. However, the commission members accused three elected New Ulm officials of lacking patriotism, because they called for reforms to the military draft. They supported the draft, but wanted German-Americans to serve in capacities that would not put them in front-line combat." -News.Minnesota.PublicRadio.org, 2005 Right: A portrait of the 7 members of the Commission on Public Safety Source: MPR |
After WWI, Minneapolis and the Twin-cities area experienced a huge boom in the industrial sector. During the 20's through the 40's, the Twin-cities were one of the top twelve cities by population in America. "Although fought "over there," World War II had immense local impact. Some 326,000 Minnesota men and women enlisted in the military, leaving school, jobs, and families behind. Others went to work in war industries or filled jobs vacated by servicemen. New, if temporary, opportunities opened for women and people of color. Civil defense exercises, price controls, rationing–these and other wartime measures brought the conflict home to all Americans." -Anne R. Kaplan for mnhs.org, 1995 Left: St. Louis Park City Hall in 1956 Source: SLP History |