Editing Minnesota Territory (section)

{{Short description|United States territory from 1849 to 1858, part of which became the state of Minnesota}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2013}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox Former subdivision
| conventional_long_name = Territory of Minnesota
| common_name            = Minnesota Territory
| nation                 = the United States
| subdivision            = [[Organized incorporated territories of the United States|Organized incorporated territory]]|
| event_start            = Split from [[Iowa Territory|Iowa]] and [[Wisconsin Territory|Wisconsin]] territories
| date_start             = March 3, 1849
| event_end              = [[Minnesota|Statehood]]
| date_end               = May 11, 1858
| p1                     = Iowa Territory
| flag_p1                = Flag of the United States (1848-1851).svg
| p2                     = Wisconsin Territory
| flag_p2                = Flag of the United States (1848-1851).svg
| s1                     = Minnesota
| flag_s1                = Flag of Minnesota (1893-1957).svg
| s2                     = Territories of the United States#Formerly unorganized territories{{!}}Unorganized territory
| flag_s2                = US flag 32 stars.svg
| s3                     = 
| flag_s3                = 
| image_flag             = 
| image_coat             = 
| symbol                 = 
| symbol_type            = 
| image_map              = Location_of_Minnesota_Territory_with_current_U.S._state_boundaries.svg
| image_map_caption      = Location of Minnesota Territory within the U.S. including U.S. state boundaries|
| capital                = [[St. Paul, Minnesota|St. Paul]]
| government_type        = [[Organized incorporated territory]]
| title_leader           = [[List of Governors of Minnesota#Governors of Minnesota Territory|Governor]]
| leader1                = [[Alexander Ramsey]]
| year_leader1           = 1849–1853
| leader2                = [[Willis A. Gorman]]
| year_leader2           = 1853–1857
| leader3                = [[Samuel Medary]]
| year_leader3           = 1857–1858
| legislature            = [[Minnesota Territorial Legislature]]
}}

The '''Territory of Minnesota''' was an [[organized incorporated territory of the United States]] that existed from March 3, 1849,<ref>{{USStat|9|403}}</ref> until May 11, 1858, when the eastern portion of the territory was [[admission to the Union|admitted to the Union]] as the [[U.S. state|state]] of [[Minnesota]] and the western portion became [[unorganized territory of the United States|unorganized territory]] and shortly after was reorganized as part of the [[Dakota Territory]].