 In the summer of 1851 the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux was "negotiated" wresting nearly all remaining Minnesotan land from the Indians.In 1852 Congress passed a bill to relinquish of Ft. Snelling, opening the door for the ultimate development of Minneapolis.By 1854, 300 squatters occupied the area, and in 1855 Congress recognized the squatters' right to purchase the land they had claimed.