Stand Up!: The Story of Minnesota's Protest Tradition

When the senatorial election of 2008 between Democrat Al Franken and Republican Norm Coleman stretched on for a contentious six months, people throughout the country wondered about Minnesota's offbeat politics. But Minnesota has been and is now a seedbed for cultural and political movements that have changed the country, and its history weaves a pattern of wide opposition between left and right.

In this broad and readable narrative, eminent Minnesota historian Rhoda R . Gilman covers the major…