Now this is something I looked forward to the moment I heard about it.  Duluth is home to one of ten Karpeles Manuscript Library Museums.  I think it's fitting that the documents we viewed are housed in a former church, because these bits of history command reverence.  I caught myself whispering in the presence of the documents that seemed most significant to me.

The Declaration of Allegiance to the Government of the United States by the North American Indian signed in 1913 made me very sad.  According to The Karpeles Website: This document marked the beginning of a ten year movement to grant full citizenship rights to the American Indian, finally given by the Act of Congress on June 15, 1924.   What????????????????

The purple thumbprints on the document above reminded me of the newscasts we saw from Iraq where that country's voters also showed us their inked thumbs.

Melanie was thrilled with being able to view a collection of letters written by Florence Nightingale during the Crimean war.  (Melanie is a former student from Lutheran Deaconess.) Nightingale had to tussle with the same people the American Indians did.  Deep in my heart, I just know things will even out in the end.

I was fascinated by the award to Florence Nightingale from Prince Albert and Queen Victoria.  It's all hand-written and the crest on the right-hand side was also hand-painted.

Future exhibits will include documents from Slave Trade Abolition in May, 2009 and The Stereoview Age in September 2009.  I can't wait to get back up there