Quick Summary
The Minnesota Digital Library recently published a new online exhibit that examines how the principles of the Declaration of Independence have played out in Minnesota history.
In 1776, the Declaration of Independence set forth a new American experiment using these powerful words:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."
The history of the United States since then has been a constant balancing act between this founding vision and our complex realities. Over time, Americans have achieved much, but we have also struggled to live up to these lofty ideals. Minnesota is part of this American story. Minnesotans have worked for generations to build a society based on liberty, equality, and justice.
The Minnesota Digital Library (MDL) is full of cultural treasures that highlight Minnesota's connections to our nation's story. In honor of America's 250th anniversary, we published a new online exhibit that unpacks the principles of the Declaration of Independence and examines how they played out in our state's history, featuring highlights from MDL's online collections. This milestone offers an excellent opportunity to reflect on the promise of America, what it has been, and what it might still become.
Explore the exhibit on our website: Minnesota: An Ongoing American Experiment.
Image credit: Parade in Willmar, 1905. Kandiyohi County Historical Society, https://collection.mndigital.org/catalog/p15160coll5:150
