By State Historical Society of North Dakota, ND250 Commission
Throughout 2026, the ND250 Commission, administered by the State Historical Society of North Dakota, is leading the state’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Through meaningful, inclusive, and inspiring projects and events, the commission celebrates North Dakota’s rich history, diverse people, and bright future while honoring the state’s heritage, individual values, and spirit of community.
In the summer of 1889, delegates gathered in Bismarck to establish the foundation for the state North Dakota would become. They arrived from across Dakota Territory by train, wagon, and horseback. Some were farmers who had only recently broken prairie sod. Others were lawyers, merchants, and community leaders who had helped establish the growing towns scattered across the northern Plains.
All 81 delegates understood the importance of the moment as they gathered for the 1889 North Dakota Constitutional Convention. Their sense of purpose and their actions were probably not much different than how our founding fathers felt when they assembled in Philadelphia in the Second Continental Congress to adopt the Declaration of Independence.
Inside the territorial Capitol building, the delegates faced a challenging task: designing a government for a brand-new state. Over several weeks that July and August, they debated how public education should be funded, how taxes should be structured, and how power should be balanced between citizens and elected officials.
They discussed how to represent communities spread across hundreds of miles of prairie and how to protect public resources for future generations. The convention records show long and sometimes spirited discussions as delegates worked through these questions.
When the delegates completed their work, they had written the framework that still guides North Dakota’s government today. Just a few months later, on Nov.2, 1889, North Dakota officially entered the Union and became the 39th state.
That moment connected the young prairie state to a national story that began more than a century earlier. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence introduced a powerful idea: the government derives its authority from the people.
By 1889, communities across Dakota Territory, which would soon become North Dakota and South Dakota, were putting that idea into practice. Settlers had built farms, schools, and towns in a challenging landscape. Local governments were forming, and citizens were debating how their institutions should serve the public. That convention in Bismarck, along with the Declaration of Independence, gave those communities a shared structure for self-government.
North Dakota’s civic story did not end with statehood as citizens in North Dakota claimed their role and responsibility in government. One example from the early 20th century was the Nonpartisan League. Farmers facing economic hardship organized politically and sought reforms that would give North Dakota farmers more control versus that of out-of-state interests. Their efforts helped lead to the creation of the Bank of North Dakota in 1919 and the North Dakota State Mill & Elevator in 1922. These institutions still thrive today and were an example of progressive ideas meant to directly support state citizens and make investments in North Dakota.
These moments remind us that governance is not something created once and left unchanged. It grows through the participation of citizens who speak up, organize, vote, and take part in public life. That tradition continues today in city commissions, school boards, Tribal councils, and community organizations across North Dakota.
As the nation marks the 250th anniversary of the United States, the ND250 Commission encourages North Dakotans to reflect on the people and places who shaped our American story.
The delegates who gathered in Bismarck in 1889 could not have imagined the North Dakota of today. But they did imagine a future filled with progress and opportunity. Their work created a framework that still supports our government and our communities.
To learn more about North Dakota’s part in the 250th anniversary and for events happening across the state, visit ND250.com.