Advanced Search Fewer Search Options

Topics

African Americans
Agriculture
Architecture
Arts
Business and Industry
Cities and Towns
Crime and Punishment
Education
Environment
Health and Medicine
Immigration
Labor
Native Americans
Politics
Religion and Belief
Science and Technology
Sports and Recreation
Transportation
War and Conflict
Women

Category

Event
Group
Person
Place
Structure
Thing

Era

Before European Contact: Pre-1585
Civil War and Reconstruction: 1850-1877
Colonization: 1585-1763
Development of Industrial United States: 1870-1920
Expansion and Reform: 1792-1861
Great Depression and World War II: 1920-1945
Post-World War II United States: 1945-1989
Revolution and a New Nation: 1754-1800
United States in a New Global Age: 1980-Present
banner_logo
MNHS
MNopedia

About MNopedia

About MNopedia

Sort by
Welcome
Funding
Mission
Timeline
Content
Technology
Acknowledgments

Welcome

Welcome to MNopedia (min-ō-pē-dē-ə | min-oh-PEE-dee-uh), an online encyclopedia about Minnesota developed by the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) and its partners. It is a free, curated, and authoritative resource about our state. All of our articles are prepared by historians, consulting experts, professional writers, and others who have been vetted by MNHS.

As of June 4, 2024, MNopedia is no longer accepting unsolicited article submissions. If you'd like to learn about the details of how MNopedia articles are published and shared, you can refer to our editorial policy.

For more general background information, listen to a radio story about MNopedia from KFAI and the Ampers network.

Funding

image 5

Who funds MNopedia? Minnesotans! MNopedia is made possible by the Legacy Amendment's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008. Learn more about MNHS and the Legacy Amendment.

Mission

MNopedia's mission is simple: to share current, reliable and relevant information about significant people, places, events, and things in Minnesota history. To accomplish this mission we:

  • Collaborate with a variety of expert contributors.
  • Maintain a user-friendly Web site.
  • Align our content with state education standards.
  • Take advantage of the latest tools and technologies.
  • Enliven our entries with images, audio, and video.
  • Continue to add new entries and resources.

Timeline

Phase One: Planning. In 2010, the Minnesota Historical Society met with potential users and contributors to hear their ideas about MNopedia. We consulted with national technology experts and evaluated similar Web resources. Then, we created a detailed work plan and took action.

Phase Two: Building. In 2011, we built MNopedia. It features content from the Minnesota Historical Society and leading Minnesota historians. It is designed so its content can be easily moved, updated, and shared.

Phase Three: Testing—Ongoing. Having completed an initial round of testing, we continue to test and refine this unique resource based on feedback from our users.

Phase Four: Expanding. This is where we are now. We'll continue building on what we've learned from users to expand MNopedia. We'll add new features and consider new ways to deliver content. We'll also explore content partnerships with other organizations, find more experts to contribute, and integrate new articles.

Content

Each article in MNopedia is a curated package of information that introduces a subject and points to valuable related material. Packages are composed of:

  • Narrative text explaining why a subject is significant.
  • Chronology points noting important dates in the text.
  • Related media featuring images, audio and video.
  • A bibliography citing sources used to create the text.
  • Related articles linking to more MNopedia content.
  • Related resources listing additional credible sources.
  • A turning point/overview summarizing the narrative text.

Our content covers a variety of eras:

Eras*
  • Before European Contact: Pre–1585
  • Civil War and Reconstruction: 1850–1877
  • Colonization and Settlement: 1585–1763
  • Development of an Industrial United States: 1870–1920
  • Revolution and a New Nation: 1754–1800
  • Great Depression and World War II: 1920–1945
  • Expansion and Reform: 1792–1861
  • Post World War II United States: 1945–1989
  • The United States in a New Global Age: 1980–Present

*MNopedia eras are aligned with the 2011 Minnesota K–12 Academic Standards in Social Studies.

Topics
  • African Americans
  • Agriculture
  • American Indians
  • Architecture
  • The Arts
  • Business and Industry
  • Cities and Towns
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Exploration
  • Health and Medicine
  • Immigration
  • Labor
  • Politics
  • Religion and Belief
  • Sports and Recreation
  • Technology
  • Transportation
  • War and Conflict
  • Women
Categories
Event
Event
Group
Groups
Person
People
Place
Places
Structure
Structures
Thing
Things

Technology

The Minnesota Historical Society has chosen to put MNopedia content into a flexible, standards-based database equipped with an API—Application Programming Interface. That means that MNopedia can talk to other applications and our content can be used in mobile apps, audience- or situation-specific products, as a component in other Web projects, in print publications, and more, whether these products are created by the Minnesota Historical Society or by others. Here are some of the essential building blocks behind MNopedia:

  • Database: MySQL
  • Metadata Standard: Dublin Core, specifically DCTERMS
  • Web Framework and Search: Drupal (Version 7)
  • Plugins/Modules:  Biblio,Views OAI-PMH, and Workbench
  • Geotagging: Addresses and lat/long coordinates, when available
  • API: Queryable OAI-PMH feed

Acknowledgments

MNopedia also wishes to thank the following for their support in helping us to fulfill our mission:

  • Our many authors
  • John and Stephanie Rupp
  • Joan Mathison, Adventures with a Locavore, LLC