250 to 250: 81. 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, Narrated by Kevin M. Levin

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, Narrated by Kevin M. Levin

Kevin M. Levin is an award-winning historian and educator, and the author of four books on the history and memory of the Civil War era, including his forthcoming biography, A Glorious Fate: The Life and Legacy of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. He writes the popular newsletter Civil War Memory. Levin tells the story of the 54th Massachusetts and its hesitant young colonel, whose 1863 assault on Battery Wagner moved the nation closer to emancipation and equal rights.

During the Civil War, the Union Army created the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment.

• The 54th Massachusetts was one of the first Black regiments in the Union Army.
• Robert Gould Shaw became the regiment's commander.
• Shaw was 25 years old.
• Most 54th Massachusetts soldiers were free Black men from the North.
• Black soldiers were paid less than white soldiers.
• They also faced great danger if Confederate soldiers captured them.

On July 18, 1863, the 54th Massachusetts attacked Fort Wagner near Charleston, South Carolina.

• The Union soldiers did not capture the fort.
• Many soldiers were killed, including Robert Gould Shaw.
• The courage of the 54th Massachusetts helped change people's ideas about Black soldiers.
• Their service also helped the fight for freedom and equal rights for African Americans.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 9:8. Have you EVER served in, been a member of, assisted (helped), or participated in any military or police unit?
• USCIS 100:74.  Name one problem that led to the Civil War.
• USCIS 128:96. What U.S. war ended slavery?

Family Fun:

• American Battlefield Trust: Fort Wagner and the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
• Black History in Two Minutes or so: The History of the Black Soldier
• NPS: 54th Massachusetts Regiment | New Bedford Historical Park 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry | Online Junior Ranger Activities | Faces of the 54th | 54th Massachusetts Coloring Sheet
• National Museum of the US Army: The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment
• PBS Ken Burns: Bottom Rail on Top clip | Civil War (stream the 8 part series or borrow the DVDs from the library)
• PBS Learning Media: African-American Troops and Robert Gould Shaw of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment | more resources
• Sony: GLORY [1989] – Official Trailer ( stream or borrow the DVD from the library)
• Untold History: Black Soldiers and the Fight for Citizenship
• VOA News: Re-enactors Celebrate African-American Contribution to US Civil War

250 to 250: 80. Roger Sherman, Narrated by Governor Ned Lamont

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Roger Sherman, Narrated by Governor Ned Lamont

Ned Lamont is an American policy innovator, entrepreneur, and the 89th Governor of Connecticut. Governor Lamont profiles Roger Sherman, the tireless Connecticut founder who signed all three of America's founding documents and whose Connecticut Compromise—adopted July 16, 1787—shaped the Congress we know today. 

Roger Sherman was an important leader during the American Revolution.

• He was from Connecticut and worked as a shoemaker when he was young.
• In 1787, leaders met to write the U.S. Constitution.
• Large states wanted representation based on population.
• Small states wanted equal representation.

Sherman helped create the Connecticut Compromise, also called the Great Compromise.

• The compromise created two parts of Congress.
• In the House of Representatives, states with more people have more representatives.
• In the Senate, every state has two senators.
• The plan gave both large and small states a voice in Congress.
• The delegates accepted the compromise.
• Roger Sherman's idea became an important part of the U.S. Constitution.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 4:01. What is your physical (home) address and zip code?
• USCIS 100:17. / 128:19.  What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?*
• USCIS 128:28.   Why does each state have two senators?
• USCIS 100:25.  Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
• USCIS 128:35.   Some states have more representatives than other states. Why?

Family Fun

• CT: Take Flat Roger Sherman on a Civic Adventure! | pdf
• NCC: Roger Sherman
• NPS: July 3, 1787: The Vital Compromise
• PBS America 250 Moments: Connecticut Compromise | more PBS America 250 Moments
• Senator Chris Murphy: Connecticut in the Capitol: Roger Sherman Statue
• USCIS: A More Perfect Union series: The Civics Test Guide to Constitution Gardens
• VOA Learning English: American History: A Struggle to Balance Power Between Big and Small States

250 to 250: 79. The “Great Society” Speech, Narrated by Governor Gretchen Whitmer

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: The “Great Society” Speech, Narrated by Governor Gretchen Whitmer

Governor Gretchen Whitmer is the 49th Governor of Michigan, an educator, former prosecutor and lifelong Michigander. Whitmer revisits Lyndon Johnson's 1964 Great Society speech, in which he called on Americans to end poverty and racial injustice and shape the civilization they wanted. 

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

• Lyndon B. Johnson then became president.

On May 22, 1964, President Johnson gave a speech at the University of Michigan.

• More than 80,000 people attended.
• Johnson described his plan for a “Great Society.”
• He wanted all Americans to have freedom and opportunity.
• He wanted to fight poverty.
• He also wanted to end racial injustice.
• Johnson wanted the government to support education, science, and the arts.
• He wanted young people to have opportunities to learn and succeed.
• Johnson believed Americans could work together to build a better country.
• His Great Society programs later helped expand civil rights, education, health care, and help for people in poverty.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• USCIS PM-602-0188. What is your highest level of education or training?
• USCIS 100:55. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?
• USCIS 128:69. What are two examples of civic participation in the United States?

Family Fun:

• American Presidency Project: Remarks at the University of Michigan, May 22, 1964 (a beautiful and powerful speach)
• DPLA: Lyndon Johnson's Great Society
• Monday Mandala: Lyndon B. Johnson coloring page
• NMAAHC: Stories: The Great Society
• NPS: Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park | A More Perfect Society | Junior Ranger Activity Booklet | Civil Rights Trading Cards | LBJ Memorial on the Potomac
• PBS American Experience: LBJ (stream or borrow dvds from your library)  | Great Society speech text | note: "LBJ & the Great Society" by Ken Burns is currently in production
• PBS Learning Media: LBJ and the Great Society

Coffee, Civics, and Citizenship (CATESOL CIV-IG Chat 2026-08-14)

Coffee, Civics, and Citizenship (CATESOL CIV-IG Chat 2026-08-14) | pdf

Jennifer Gagliardi gagliajn@gmail.com

Dr. Patricia Hernandez pati.prof@runbox.com 

USCIS Proposed Fee Rule (comment before August 24, 2026)

• Form N-400 Paper Cost: Rises from $760 to $1,330.

• Form N-400 Online Cost: Rises from $710 to $1,280.

• USCIS IFR mandating e-filing; waivers still possible.

• N-400 paper applications ok; worried about future fee waivers.

Information about the fee increase is in this explainer from ILRC and other organizations: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19iJDoNElWhFGz5r65SFdydb32SpmyCXY8HQAFvz-bgw/edit?tab=t.0

And a short public comment can be sent via a direct link at the Action Network: https://actionnetwork.org/campaigns/nationalization-application-fee-increase?source=direct_link&

Proposed Database of Irregularities (unusual dictations, etc): bill.bliss@languageandcommunication.org  

Other links:

2025 N400/Civics Course Calendar
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15y1-z-RQCAHAJvzB4Be8p8I_uIWWM1g5/view?usp=sharing

Eric Dodson's Citizenship website:
https://citizenship.ericdodsonpdx.com 

Eric Dodson 100/128 comparison:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1j53lJ6-tZaM4CLuTwCHXVUzKgds451nyOAwhlt5ZAJM/edit?usp=drivesdk

Song Hong 100/128 comparison:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rWInqDK8z1oERuhsX53GZM157Gwxof-BrWJMtHRVPhg/edit?usp=sharing

Voices of Freedom Speaking Test Update 
https://www.pearson.com/content/dam/one-dot-com/one-dot-com/pearson-languages/en-us/pdf/natz-speaking-test-prep.pdf

250 to 250: 78. Los Alamos, Narrated by Todd Nickols

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250:  Los Alamos, Narrated by Todd Nickols 

Todd Nickols is the Executive Director of Los Alamos Historical Society (LAHS) and former manager of the Bandelier Trading Company where he worked on several Federal National Park Service initiatives. Nickols tells the story of Los Alamos, where J. Robert Oppenheimer and thousands of scientists built the atomic bomb that would forever change warfare.

Los Alamos is in a remote area of New Mexico.

• During World War II, the U.S. government built a secret research center there.
• More than 5,000 scientists and engineers worked at Los Alamos.
• J. Robert Oppenheimer was the scientific director.
• Their work was part of the Manhattan Project.
• The Los Alamos laboratory was also called Project Y.
• Scientists developed the first atomic bombs there.

In 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.

• The atomic bomb changed warfare and the world.
• Oppenheimer later remembered a line from the Hindu text, the Bhagavad Gita: “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”
• After the war, Oppenheimer worked to limit the spread of nuclear weapons.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 9:37. If the law requires it, are you willing to perform work of national importance under civilian direction (do non-military work that the U.S. Government says is important to the country)?
• USCIS 100:53. What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
• USCIS 128:67. Name two promises that new citizens make in the Oath of Allegiance. 

Family Fun:

• Atomic Heritage Foundation: Educational Resources (many lesson plans)
• Best documentary: Oppenheimer: The Real Story | Documentary
• Global Heroes: Hiroshima Bomb Survivor Learned English to Tell Her Story | VOA story
• Listen and Read Along (VOA): American History - Part 190 - FDR -Truman - A Bomb - Science in WWII | 2011 Article
• Los Alamos History: Education
• Los Alamos National Laboratory: LANL | Bradbury Science Museum
• National Museum of Nuclear Science & History: Family Fun Guide
• Share America: Oppenheimer Edition: What the Department of State Is Doing to Reduce Nuclear Risk
• VOA News: Hiroshima Statue That Survived Nuclear Explosion Stands in Manhattan | (search for more at VOANews and VOA Learning English)
• Vox: Oppenheimer’s secret city, explained

250 to 250: 77. “Don’t Give Up the Ship,” Narrated by Representative Chris Deluzio

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: “Don’t Give Up the Ship,” Narrated by Representative Chris Deluzio

Congressman Chris Deluzio is an Iraq War veteran, voting rights attorney, and union organizer who serves as the U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania’s 17th congressional district. Deluzio tells how a dying captain's final order became the battle flag Oliver Hazard Perry flew to victory at Lake Erie, and an enduring symbol of American perseverance.

In June 1813, the United States was fighting Great Britain in the War of 1812.

• U.S. Navy Captain James Lawrence was badly wounded in a battle near Boston.
• Before he died, Lawrence told his sailors, “Don’t give up the ship.”
• His friend, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, remembered these words.
• Perry put the words on a large blue battle flag.
• On September 10, 1813, Perry fought the British in the Battle of Lake Erie.
• His flagship, the USS Lawrence, was named for Captain Lawrence.
• Perry and his sailors won an important victory over the British.
• The victory helped the United States during the War of 1812.

“Don’t give up the ship” became a famous motto of the U.S. Navy.

• The original flag is displayed at the United States Naval Academy.
• Today, the words are also a reminder to have courage and not give up.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 9:26. Are you currently a member of the U.S. armed forces?
• USCIS 100:53. / 128:67.  What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
• USCIS 100:72. / 128:91. Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s. 

Family Fun:

• A History of the Navy in 100 Objects: Object #11: Dont Give Up The Ship Flag
• HMDB: Making of the Flag "Don't Give Up The Ship"
• NPS:  Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial: The Battle of Lake Erie, War of 1812  | Junior Ranger Activities online / 6-9 / 10-12 | Boston Harbor: "Don't Give Up the Ship" Sign
• US Navy: Don’t Give Up the Ship! | Oliver Hazard Perry
• USPS: War Of 1812’s Battle Of Lake Erie Commemorated On Forever Stamp

250 to 250: 76. 10th Mountain Division, Narrated by Representative Jason Crow

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: 10th Mountain Division, Narrated by Representative Jason Crow

United States Congressman Jason Crow of Colorado is a former paratrooper and Army Ranger who earned a Bronze Star during the invasion of Iraq. Crow explains how the 10th Mountain Division fought heroically in World War II and helped to develop the American commercial skiing industry.

In 1942, during World War II, the U.S. Army created a special mountain unit.

• It became the 10th Mountain Division.
• Soldiers trained at Camp Hale in the mountains of Colorado.
• They learned to ski, climb mountains, and survive in very cold weather.
• In 1945, the soldiers fought in the mountains of Italy.
• They helped break through German defenses.
• They helped the Allies move north through the Apennine Mountains.
• The division's motto was “Climb to Glory.”

After the war, many veterans returned to Colorado.

• Some veterans helped develop the American ski industry.
• They helped build and develop ski areas such as Arapahoe Basin, Aspen, and Vail.
• The 10th Mountain Division influenced both U.S. military history and American skiing.
  

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 9:25. Have you ever served in the U.S. military?
• USCIS 100:81. Who did the United States fight in World War II?
• USCIS 128:116. Name one U.S. military conflict after the September 11, 2001 attacks. 

Family Fun

• 10th Mountain Division: Operation Mountain Resolve - 2003 (Afghanistan)
• 10th Mountain Division Descendants: K-12 Education Project (activities organized by K12 grade)
• Colorado Snowsports Museum: 10th Mountain Division digital exhibition
• FTMP: Fire on the Mountain (documentary)
• History Colorado: 10th Mountain Division: Skiing Off to War with Flint Whitlock
• NPS: 10th Mountain Division Memorial
• National WWII Museum: ‘Climb to Glory’: The 10th Mountain Division’s Ski and Mountain Troops | Senator Bob Dole (2nd Lt. wounded near Castel d'Aiano)
• PBS: Warren Miller's Climb to Glory: Legacy of the 10th Mountain Ski Troopers
• Smithsonian Folklife: My Father’s War: WWII through the Lens of a Latino American Soldier
• US Army: Fort Drum: 10th Mountain Division (LI) | Museum

250 to 250: 75. Homestead Act, Narrated by Todd Arrington

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Homestead Act, Narrated by Todd Arrington

Todd Arrington is a historian, writer, and veteran. He serves as Executive Director of the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation. Arrington examines the Homestead Act of 1862, which offered 160 acres of land—taken from Indigenous tribes—to settlers seeking opportunity in the American West.

In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act.

• The law helped people get land in the American West.
• The U.S. government offered settlers 160 acres of public land.
• Much of this land had been taken from Native American tribes.
• Settlers had to live on and farm the land for five years.
• If they followed the rules, they could own the land.
• Life on a homestead was often very difficult.
• Many farms failed because parts of the West were very dry.

However, the Homestead Act gave some Americans new opportunities.

• Single women could claim land in their own names.
• Thousands of formerly enslaved Black Americans also claimed land.
• Homesteaders eventually received more than 270 million acres in 30 states.
• The Homestead Act changed settlement and farming in the American West.
  

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 4:01. What date did you start to reside (live) t you current physical (home) address?
• USCIS 100:58.  What is one reason colonists came to America?
• USCIS 128:73.  The colonists came to America for many reasons. Name one.

Family Fun:

• Friends of Homestead: Land of Immigrants | Black Homesteaders and the Story of Nicodemus
• NPS: Homestead National Park, Nebraska | Online Activities | Junior Ranger Activity Booklet
• National Archives: The Homestead Act (primary resources)
• PBS Learning Labs: The Homestead Act and the Populating of the Great Plains | Single Women Homesteaders | African American Settlers
• Postal Museum: Mail and Migration (online exhibit)
• Smithsonain Learning Labs: The Impact of the Homestead Act (primary resources!)
• US Mint: Homestead Quarter (Nebraska) 

250 to 250: 74. 1868 Iowa School Desegregation, Narrated by Connie Ryan

 

 

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: 1868 Iowa School Desegregation, Narrated by Connie Ryan

Connie Ryan has served as Executive Director of Interfaith Alliance of Iowa since 2002. With her leadership, the organization challenges religious extremism, defends democracy, protects religious freedom, and safeguards the rights of all Iowans. Connie is a registered lobbyist at the Iowa Legislature whose advocacy focuses on civil rights, religious liberty, strong public schools, and judicial independence. Ryan tells how 12-year-old Susan Clark integrated an Iowa school in 1868, winning a desegregation case decades before Brown v. Board of Education.

In the 1800s, many U.S. schools separated Black and white children.

• Susan Clark was a 12-year-old Black student in Muscatine, Iowa.
• She wanted to attend a school for white children.
• The school did not allow Susan to attend because she was Black.
• Her father, Alexander Clark, went to court to fight this rule.

In 1868, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled in favor of Susan and her father.

• Justice Chester Cole said that separating students by race was against the Iowa Constitution.
• The Iowa Constitution promised “equal rights to all.”
• Susan was allowed to attend the previously all-white school.
• This happened 86 years before the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision.
• The Clark family helped advance equal education for Black children.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 7: Where have you attended school full time or part time for the past 5 years?
• USCIS 100:02. What does the Constitution do?
• USCIS 128:10. Name two important ideas from the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
• USCIS 100:37. / 128:51 What does the judicial branch do?

Family Fun

• African American Museum of Iowa: Susan Clark
• Bleeding Heartland: No picture of Susan? | What became of Susie Clark?
• Drake Law: Clark Decision: Celebrating 150 Years of Iowa School Desegregation: Welcome
• Notes on Iowa: The Case of Susan Clark
• Stanley Center: Susie Clark: The Bravest Girl You’ve Ever Seen | Educator Guide
• Teaching Iowa History: Susan Clark
• Urban Faith: Who was the first black child to go to an integrated school?
• uscitizenpod: Iowa State Quarter coloring page