Immigrants in Minnesota:

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Immigrants in Minnesota

• A Demonstration Project of the Minnesota Digital
  Library

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Understanding the Minnesota Digital Library
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What is the Minnesota Digital Library?

• Repository
• Local Resources
• No Advertising
• Primary Sources

4
Understanding Metadata

• Metadata data about data

Metadata
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Understanding Metadata

• Who, What, When, Where

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Browsing Options

• Browse the Minnesota Digital Library by Regions

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Browsing Options

• Browse the Minnesota Digital Library by
  Contributing Institutions

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Browsing Options

• Browse the Minnesota Digital Library by Topics

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What is the Minnesota Digital Library Good For?

• Search term Minnesota ImmigrantsGoogle
  4,430,000 resultsMinnesota Digital Library 5
  results

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Minnesota Digital Library search term results 1
of 5

• A search of the Minnesota Digital Library using
  the word immigrants turned up this picture of
  Chinese immigrants who took an English class at
  the YMCA in 1895/1900.

Photographer Not Listed. Chinese class at
YMCA.Kautz Family YMCA Archives, University of
Minnesota Libraries ya000388 1895/1900 Minnesota
Reflections, Minnesota Digital Library.
(06/28/06) http//reflections.mndigital.org/u?/umk
,18
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Minnesota Digital Library search term results 2
of 5

• Another, larger English class at the YMCA for
  immigrants, taken a couple of years earlier.

Photographer Not Listed. English class for
coming Americans, Minneapolis YMCA Central
Branch, 10th Street and Mary Place. Kautz Family
Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries
ya000376 1892/1900 Minnesota Reflections,
Minnesota Digital Library. (06/28/06)
http//reflections.mndigital.org/u?/umk,6
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Minnesota Digital Library search term results 3
of 5

• Why a Bavarian monastery in a search for
  immigrants among historic Minnesota images? A
  check of the metadata reveals that this monastery
  was the parent organization for founders of St.
  Benedicts monastery in St. Joseph, Minnesota.

Photographer Not Listed. St. Walburg Convent,
Elchstatt, Barvaria, founding monastery of St.
Benedicts Monastery, St. Joseph, MN. St.
Benedicts Monastery SBM.0la 1852-1864 Minnesota
Reflections, Minnesota Digital Library.
(06/28/06) http//reflections.mndigital.org/u?/stb
m,0
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Minnesota Digital Library search term results 4
of 5

• The metadata with this image
• includes the keywords Swedish
• Americans, suggesting that
• Swedish may be a useful search
• term for more images about
• immigration in Minnesota.

J.A. Brush Photographer Turnblad family,
ca.1890. American Swedish Institute TURFAM1890
1890? Minnesota Reflections, Minnesota Digital
Library. (06/28/06) http//reflections.mndigital.
org/u?/swede,0
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Minnesota Digital Library search term results 5
of 5

• The rich description that accompanies this image
  gives
• a translation of the German vow formula, and an
  interesting
• tale about a power struggle
• between a Bavarian Abbot
• and convents in Minnesota,
• a nice example of how a
• seemingly simple document
• can function as the first page
• in a much larger story.

Saint Johns Abbey (SJA) Photographer,
Collegeville, MN. Vow formula writeen by Mother
Benedicta Riepp, OSB, foundress of the Barvarian
branch of American Benedictine Sisters.Saint
Benedicts Monastery SBM.01b 1846 Minnesota
Reflections, Minnesota Digital Library.
(06/28/06) http//reflections.mndigital.org/u?/stb
m,1
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Immigrants in Minnesota History A Demonstration
Project

• Search the Minnesota Digital Library
• Evaluate Images for Factual Accuracy
• Analyze Primary Sources
• Form Hypotheses
• Consider Multiple Points of View
• Test Hypotheses with Outside Sources

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Search the Minnesota Digital Library

• This images metadata
• Contains the key words
• Swedish Americans,
• suggesting that Swedish
• may be a useful search
• term for more images about
• Immigration in Minnesota.
• Adding an asterisk () to a
• search term acts as a wild
• card, returning anything that
• contains the letters before it.

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Search the Minnesota Digital Library

• The search term Swed brought up this image,
  closely related to the Turnblad family. Its a
  picture of their residence in Minneapolis, taken
  not long after the building was completed.

Photographer Not Listed. Swedish Mansion now
American Swedish Institute of Arts. Minneapolis
Public Library MS0036 1900-1910 Minnesota
Reflections, Minnesota Digital Library.
(06/28/06) http//reflections.mndigital.org/u?/mpl
s,175
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Search the Minnesota Digital Library

• Children of Swedish immigrants may have needed
  language classes to maintain their ethnic
  heritage.

Photographer Not Listed. Swedish School, Chisago
Lake District 8. Gustavus Adolphus College mp-11
7/1/1910 Minnesota Reflections, Minnesota Digital
Library. (06/28/06) http//reflections.mndigital.o
rg/u?/gust,5
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Search the Minnesota Digital Library
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Search the Minnesota Digital Library

• This picture of the Temple Opera
• building in Duluth, Minnesota is
• also document of a celebration of
• Swedish heritage the people in
• the picture are commemorating
• the 252nd anniversary of Swedes
• arriving in America.

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Search the Minnesota Digital Library

• German may also be a
• fruitful search term when
• looking for images
• related to immigration.

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Search the Minnesota Digital Library

• A search for German returned this postcard with
  representations of Lutheran, Catholic and
  Presbyterian churches in St. Peter, Minnesota.

Photographer Not Listed. German Catholic, German
Luthern, and Presbyterian Churches in St. Peter.
Nicollet County Historical Society E7540
1907-1909 Minnesota Reflections, Minnesota
Digital Library. (06/28/06) http//reflections.mnd
igital.org/u?/nico,513
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Search the Minnesota Digital Library

• Germans settled the village of St. Augusta,
  Minnesota, according to this images description.

Photographer Not Listed. St. Augusta District
School 34 served as both public and parochial
school. Saint Benedicts Monastery SBM.10l1
1890? Minnesota Reflections, Minnesota Digital
Library. (06/28/06) http//reflections.mndigital.o
rg/u?/stbm,128
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Search the Minnesota Digital Library

• Since the search term German
• returned items, Norway or Norw
• and Irish seem like good search
• terms as well. This images meta-
• data contains references to
• Norwegian and Irish immigrants.

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Search the Minnesota Digital Library

• Earlier we found evidence that a German
• Lutheran church existed in St. Peter,
• Minnesota. So, apparently, did a
• Norwegian Lutheran church! This image
• of the Norwegian Lutheran Church in
• St. Peter was returned when the
• search term Norw was used.

Oscar Fryklund Photographer Norwegian Lutheran
Church in St. Peter. Nicollet County Historical
Society E7897 1907-1909 Minnesota Reflections,
Minnesota Digital Library. (06/28/06) http//refle
ctions.mndigital.org/u?/nico,594
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Search the Minnesota Digital Library

• These Norwegian skiers (as described in the
  metadata) may
• be immigrants themselves or carrying on the
  traditions of their
• immigrant
• parents,
• given their
• ski costumes,
• which look
• like ethnic
• clothing.

Photographer Not Listed. Aurora Ski Club
Members. Goodhue County Historical Society
R0223 1890 Minnesota Reflections, Minnesota
Digital Library. (06/28/06)http//reflections.mndi
gital.org/u?/good,71
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Evaluate Images for Factual Accuracy

• This image comes up during a
• search for Irish, but according
• to the metadata the Irish
• community in Melrose
• established a different school.

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Analyze Primary Sources

• Primary Source an original document or object
  made when a historical event occurred.
• To analyze a primary source
• Apply the time and place rule
• Examine the intent behind the source
• Ask Was the creator a neutral party?
• Examine the intended audience

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Analyze Primary Sources

• Apply the time and place rule
• the closer in time and place a
• source and its creator are to
• an event, the more reliable
• the source is.

J.A. Brush Photographer Turnblad family,
ca.1890. American Swedish Institute TURFAM1890
1890? Minnesota Reflections, Minnesota Digital
Library. (06/28/06) http//reflections.mndigital.
org/u?/swede,0
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Analyze Primary Sources

• Apply the time and place rule.

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Analyze Primary Sources

• Apply the time
• and place rule.

Photographer Not Listed. At a street fair on St.
Germain Street and 6th Avenue North. Stearns
History Museum shm001792 1905? Minnesota
Reflections, Minnesota Digital Library.
(06/28/06) http//reflections.mndigital.org/u?/ste
arns,57
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Analyze Primary Sources

• Examine the intent behind the source
• Was the primary source created to capture an
  instance in time? A routine transaction?
• A special event?
• Was it created
• deliberately?

Photographer Not Listed. At a street fair on St.
Germain Street and 6th Avenue North. Stearns
History Museum shm001792 1905? Minnesota
Reflections, Minnesota Digital Library.
(06/28/06) http//reflections.mndigital.org/u?/ste
arns,57
33
Analyze Primary Sources

• Examine the intent behind the source.

J.A. Brush Photographer Turnblad family,
ca.1890. American Swedish Institute TURFAM1890
1890? Minnesota Reflections, Minnesota Digital
Library. (06/28/06) http//reflections.mndigital.
org/u?/swede,0
34
Analyze Primary Sources

• Examine the
• intent behind
• the source.

Photographer Not Listed, Chippewa Children and
white settlers. Pennington County Historical
Society 0000-000-494 1905? Minnesoa Reflections,
Minnesota Digital Library. (06/28/06)
http//reflections.mndigital.org/u?/penn,8
35
Analyze Primary Sources

• Was the creator a neutral party?
• Bias is prejudice in favor of or against
• one thing, person, or group compared
• with another.

J.A. Brush Photographer Turnblad family,
ca.1890. American Swedish Institute TURFAM1890
1890? Minnesota Reflections, Minnesota Digital
Library. (06/28/06) http//reflections.mndigital.
org/u?/swede,0
36
Analyze Primary Sources

• Was the creator
• a neutral party?

Photographer Not Listed, Chippewa Children and
white settlers. Pennington County Historical
Society 0000-000-494 1905? Minnesoa Reflections,
Minnesota Digital Library. (06/28/06)
http//reflections.mndigital.org/u?/penn,8
37
Analyze Primary Sources

• Was the creator
• a neutral party?

Photographer Not Listed. At a street fair on St.
Germain Street and 6th Avenue North. Stearns
History Museum shm001792 1905? Minnesota
Reflections, Minnesota Digital Library.
(06/28/06) http//reflections.mndigital.org/u?/ste
arns,57
38
Analyze Primary Sources

• Examine the intended audience
• Knowing who a source was made for
• adds another layer of insight into why
• it was made.

J.A. Brush Photographer Turnblad family,
ca.1890. American Swedish Institute TURFAM1890
1890? Minnesota Reflections, Minnesota Digital
Library. (06/28/06) http//reflections.mndigital.
org/u?/swede,0
39
Analyze Primary Sources

• Examine the
• intended audience.

Photographer Not Listed, Chippewa Children and
white settlers. Pennington County Historical
Society 0000-000-494 1905? Minnesoa Reflections,
Minnesota Digital Library. (06/28/06)
http//reflections.mndigital.org/u?/penn,8
40
Analyze Primary Sources

• Examine the
• intended audience.

Photographer Not Listed. At a street fair on St.
Germain Street and 6th Avenue North. Stearns
History Museum shm001792 1905? Minnesota
Reflections, Minnesota Digital Library.
(06/28/06) http//reflections.mndigital.org/u?/ste
arns,57
41
Form Hypotheses

• Hypothesis One Early Minnesota immigrants
• were Germans, Swedes and Norwegians.
• Evidence
• Celebrations of
• Swedish culture.

W.W. Kemp Photographer Lake avenue entrance of
Temple Opera Building men on horses event of
252nd anniversary of Swedes arrival in America.
Northeast Minnesota Historical Center 778.2 1890
Minnesota Reflections, Minnesota Digital Library.
(06/28/06) http//reflections.mndigital.org/u?/nem
hc,665
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Form Hypotheses

• Hypothesis One Early Minnesota immigrants were
  Germans, Swedes and Norwegians.
• Evidence
• Churches
• founded by
• German
• Immigrants.

Photographer Not Listed. German Catholic, German
Luthern, and Presbyterian Churches in St. Peter.
Nicollet County Historical Society E7540
1907-1909 Minnesota Reflections, Minnesota
Digital Library. (06/28/06) http//reflections.mnd
igital.org/u?/nico,513
43
Form Hypotheses

• Hypothesis One Early Minnesota immigrants
• were Germans, Swedes and Norwegians.
• Evidence
• Establishment of
• cultural clubs that
• carried on ethnic
• traditions

Photographer Not Listed. Aurora Ski Club
Members. Goodhue County Historical Society
R0223 1890 Minnesota Reflections, Minnesota
Digital Library. (06/28/06)http//reflections.mndi
gital.org/u?/good,71
44
Form Hypotheses

• Hypothesis Two Churches were built as the
• cement in the early life of Minnesota immigrant
• communities.
• Evidence
• One community,
• many churches.

Photographer Not Listed. German Catholic, German
Luthern, and Presbyterian Churches in St. Peter.
Nicollet County Historical Society E7540
1907-1909 Minnesota Reflections, Minnesota
Digital Library. (06/28/06) http//reflections.mnd
igital.org/u?/nico,513
45
Form Hypotheses

• Hypothesis Two Churches were built as the
• cement in the early life of Minnesota immigrant
• communities.
• Evidence
• Roseaus first
• Building was
• the Swedish
• Lutheran
• Church.

Ole Alex Holm Photographer, Roseau, MN. Pearl
(now Center) Street, Roseau, MN. Rouseau County
Historical Society 5186 1893-1900 Minnesota
Reflections, Minnesota Digital Library.
(06/28/06) http//reflections.mndigital.org/u?/ros
,85
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Form Hypotheses

• Hypothesis Two Churches were built as the
• cement in the early life of Minnesota immigrant
• communities.
• Evidence English
• Classes for immigrants
• at the Young Mens
• Christian Association
• (YMCA).

Photographer Not Listed. Chinese class at
YMCA.Kautz Family YMCA Archives, University of
Minnesota Libraries ya000388 1895/1900 Minnesota
Reflections, Minnesota Digital Library.
(06/28/06) http//reflections.mndigital.org/u?/umk
,18
47
Consider Multiple Points of View

• Consider multiple
• perspectives such
• as race, class,
• gender, and
• geographical
• location.

Photographer Not Listed. A Residence Quarters in
the Old Mary Place YMCA. Kautz Family YMCA
Archives ya00385 1892-1900Minnesota Reflections,
Minnesota Digital Library. (06/28/06)
http//reflections.mndigital.org/u?/umk,15
48
Consider Multiple Points of View

• American Indians in the region

Photographer Not Listed, Chippewa Children and
white settlers. Pennington County Historical
Society 0000-000-494 1905? Minnesoa Reflections,
Minnesota Digital Library. (06/28/06)
http//reflections.mndigital.org/u?/penn,8
49
Consider Multiple Points of View

• National and International Points of View on
  Local
• Immigration

Photographer Not Listed. St. Walburg Convent,
Elchstatt, Barvaria, founding monastery of St.
Benedicts Monastery, St. Joseph, MN. St.
Benedicts Monastery SBM.0la 1852-1864 Minnesota
Reflections, Minnesota Digital Library.
(06/28/06) http//reflections.mndigital.org/u?/stb
m,0
50
Test Hypotheses with Outside Sources

• Consulting the Census at
• http//www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decennial/index
  .htm
• The 1900 census lists Germany most often as
• the country of origin for residents of Stearns
• County.

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Test Hypotheses with Outside Sources

• According to
• Fact Monsters
• Minnesota page,
• Norwegians and
• Swedes came to
• work in lumber
• camps in
• Minnesota.

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Test Hypotheses with Outside Sources

• Mankato State Universitys Minnesota History has
  pages on German, Swedish, and Norwegian
  immigration at
• http//www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/mnstatehistory
  /mn_migration.html

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Test Hypotheses with Outside Sources

• According to the Minnesota Historical Societys
• TimePieces http//events.mnhs.org/Timepieces/Index
  .cfm
• interactive timeline the 1862 Homestead Act
• gave 160 acres to anyone willing to live, farm
• for five years and build a permanent dwelling in
• Minnesota and many other states.

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• http//www.mndigital.org