Minnesota Historical Society

The Minnesota Historical Society will explore data visualization as a new method for providing access to archival collections. Visualizing History is a project targeted at visitors and museum staff. It will demonstrate how data visualization can be used to transform static documents into meaningful graphical interfaces. It will focus on the prelude to the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, a devastating and far-reaching conflict whose representation must be rooted in primary sources, and whose complexity demands the kind of intricate modeling that data visualization can provide. The project will produce three data visualizations, each supported by a carefully documented process for applying the precepts of visualization to museum archives. Visualizing History will contribute to the development of 21st-century historical literacy and will demonstrate the power of visual technology to encourage primary source-based learning.