In the years before Minnesota became a territory, white and black children attended St. Paul schools side-by-side. But by the late 1850s, the St. Paul Board of Education formally segregated the city's schools, separating white and black children. This segregation remained in force until 1869. In this article, William Green details the fluctuation from integration to segregation to integration in St. Paul public schools.

Most Minnesota History articles are written at a higher reading level, and are better suited for adults.