MinnPost is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Minnesota’s Northwest Angle is separated by water from the rest of the state, but a surveying error led to it becoming part of Minnesota rather than Canada, according to research compiled by the Minnesota Historical Society. Using outdated mappings of what is now northern Minnesota, the 1783 Treaty of Paris determined a U.S.-Canada border from the Atlantic to the Mississippi River. The Northwest Angle and Lake of the Woods were believed to be adjacent to the Mississippi headwaters. In the 1980s, residents of the Angle threatened to secede from the United States, citing fishing disputes and neglect from the government.

Source: Los Angeles Times June 30, 2023 03:16 UTC