In Their Words: Stories of Minnesota's Greatest Generation explores the legacy of the generation born between 1910 and 1929 through stories told in their own words. Each story is illustrated with objects, letters, photographs, manuscripts and other artifacts from the collections of the Minnesota Historical Society.
"In Their Words" is organized by era. The first era, "The Depression," with stories of childhood during the 1920s and1930s launches in late 2006. "The War," featuring stories of service to our country in the military and on the home front will launch in the fall of 2007. "The Boom," with stories of the prosperous post-war years, will follow in 2008. Each era is organized around a timeline and features several broad story topics, under which more specific stories are told through personal narratives found in manuscripts and oral histories held in MHS collections, and through stories submitted by the general public to the Minnesota's Greatest Generation "Share Your Story" web site. "In Their Words" can be expanded in the future to include additional story topics and personal narratives to create an even greater online resource for study of this generation, their trials and accomplishments.
Special features include:
- A timeline helps set the context for each story and provides easy access to the stories.
- Resource pages define glossary terms, provide biographical information about selected individuals, and offer a closer look at artifacts, photographs and manuscripts, some with "zoom" capability.
- A site search engine with keyword, resource, and category search functions help visitors find specific information on the site.
- Full-text transcripts of many stories are available for further reading.
- Citations and "Investigate Further" links offer visitors a list of helpful resources for further study.
- A "Teacher Tools" section offers related curriculum, complete with lesson plans, tips for using primary sources and downloadable materials. The lessons are designed to help students draw personal connections to the legacy of Minnesota's Greatest Generation.
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