The stellar populations of the Milky Way satellites: the early Universe through the color-magnitude diagram

The Milky Way satellites offer the possibility of studying their star forma tion histories in great detail. Color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) reaching th e old main-sequence turnoffs, allow a careful modelling of their stellar po pulations using synthetic CMDs, and spectroscopy of the brightest stars, pr ovides a direct measurement of their metallicity. Here I present new wide f ield, old main sequence turnoff photometry of the LMC and Fornax, and brief ly discuss preliminary results of a CaII triplet spectroscopy study of meta llicities of individual stars in Fornax.