250 to 250:126. Morrill Act, Narrated by Josh Cowen

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Morrill Act, Narrated by Josh Cowen

Josh Cowen is a professor of education policy at Michigan State University, where he founded the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative. Cowen focuses on bringing research and evidence to public policy decision-making. Cowen describes the impact of the 1862 Morrill Act, which gave us our state colleges and universities.

Suring the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed several important laws.

• In 1862, he signed the Morrill Act.
• Senator Justin Morrill of Vermont supported the law.
• He wanted more people to have access to education.
• The federal government gave land to states to help pay for new colleges.
• Much of this land had been taken from Native American tribes.
• The colleges taught agriculture, engineering, and other subjects.
• Before this time, college was mostly for wealthy people.
• The Morrill Act helped make higher education available to more Americans.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 7:01. Where have you attended school full time or part time for the past 5 years?
• USCIS 100:16.  Who makes federal laws?
• USCIS 128:18.   What part of the federal government writes laws?
• Read: What does Congress do? 
• Write: Congress makes laws. 

Family Fun:

• Arkansas Division of Agriculture: Celebrating the Morrill Act
• History Facts Made Easy: Land Grant University What Is It Morrill Acts
• IU Center on Representative Government: Congressional Moments Morrill Land-Grant Act
• Michigan State University: The Nation's Pioneer Land-Grant University
• NDSU: Land Grant Animation
• National Archive: Morrill Act of 1862
• Nikki Bell: The Morrill Act of 1862 and its Impact on Native Americans
• Penn State Outreach: The Legacy and the Promise: 150 Years of Land-Grant Universities
• Timeless Reader 1: Morrill Act, 1862 - Hear and Read the Land Grant College Act - Abraham Lincoln
• Traveling for History: Justin Morrill Homestead State Historic Marker
• Trivia on Tap: How Well Do You Know the Morrill Act? Take This Quiz & Find Out! 
• uscitizenpod: 4c Higher Education stamp coloring page (commemorates the centennial of the Morrill Act of 1862 that created land-grant colleges and universities)

250 to 250:125. Bill Mauldin, Narrated by Garry Trudeau

 

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Bill Mauldin, Narrated by Garry Trudeau

Garry Trudeau is an American cartoonist and satirist best known for bringing sharp, countercultural political and social commentary to the funny pages with his Pulitzer Prize-winning political comic strip Doonesbury. Trudeau profiles World War II cartoonist Bill Mauldin, whose infantrymen Willie and Joe gave weary American soldiers a champion and a laugh when they needed it most.

Bill Mauldin was a cartoonist during World War II.

• He drew cartoons about two soldiers, Willie and Joe.
• His cartoons showed the daily life of soldiers.
• Willie and Joe were brave, tired, and frustrated.
• Many American soldiers enjoyed his cartoons.
• His cartoons made soldiers laugh during difficult times.
• Mauldin won a Pulitzer Prize in 1945.
• Many soldiers remembered him as their champion.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• N-400 Part 9:25. Have you ever served in the U.S. military?
• N-400 Part 9:26. Are you currently serving in the U.S. armed services?
• USCIS 100:57. / 128:72. When must all men register for the Selective Service?
• USCIS 128:106. Why did the United States enter World War II?
• Read: When is Memorial Day?
• Write: Memorial Day is in May.

Family Fun:

• Bill Mauldin Art: Original Artwork
• Facing History & Ourselves: Inch by Inch Cartoon, Bill Mauldin
• NPS: World War II Memorial
• National Postal Museum: 44c Bill Mauldin single
• National World War II: Drawn to Combat: Bill Mauldin and the Art of War 
• PBS: Wartime Cartoons
• Pritzker Military Museum & Library: 2022 Emmy Award Recipient - Drawn to Combat: Bill Mauldin & the Art of War – Virtual tour
• Stars and Stripes: Bill Mauldin: two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and WWII legend
• Super Coloring: WWII coloring pages
• USCIS: N-400 Topic--Armed Forces; A More Perfect Union series: The Civics Test Guide to the WWII Memorial

250 to 250:124. Aaron Copland, Narrated by Na’Zir McFadden

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Aaron Copland, Narrated by Na’Zir McFadden

Na’Zir McFadden is an acclaimed American orchestral conductor known for winning the 2026 Sphinx Medal of Excellence and is the Associate Conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony and Conducting Fellow of the San Diego Symphony. McFadden profiles composer Aaron Copland, whose Pulitzer-winning works captured the American landscape and forged a distinctive national sound.

Aaron Copland was born into a Jewish immigrant family.

• He grew up in Brooklyn, New York.
• Copland became a famous American composer.
• He wanted his music to have an American sound.
• He used ideas from jazz and popular music.
• He was also inspired by the American West.
• Appalachian Spring showed the spirit of rural America.
• Rodeo celebrated the American West.
• Fanfare for the Common Man honored everyday Americans during World War II.
• Copland helped create a new and special sound in American music.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• USCIS PM-602-0188. How do you participate in the life of your local community?
• USCIS 100:98. / 128:123. What is the name of the national anthem?
• USCIS 128:124. The Nation s first motto was E Pluribus Unum. What does that mean?
• Read: Why do people want to live in America?
• Write: People want to live in a free country. 

Family Fun:

• Aaron Copland: Website | YouTube playlists
• All-Star Orchestra: Aaron Copland Music for the Theatre: Analysis by Gerard Schwarz
• Classics Explained: A vision for American harmony EP 26: Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland
• Classics for Kids: Let's Meet Aaron Copland activity sheet
• Copland House: Timeline of a Musical Life
• HCR: Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait” Led by Na'Zir McFadden and Narrated by Heather Cox Richardson
• LOC: Aaron Copland collection | A Brief Introduction to the Music of Aaron Copland
• Making Music Fun: Aaron Copland coloring page
• PBS Great Performances: The Jewish Tune That Inspired Composer Aaron Copland | Aaron Copland's Ideas on Film Scores
• San Francisco Symphony: Keeping Score | Aaron Copland and the American Sound

250 to 250:123. Cripple Creek Miners' Strike, Narrated by Sherrod Brown

 

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Cripple Creek Miners' Strike, Narrated by Sherrod Brown

Born and raised in Mansfield, Ohio, ‪SherrodBrown‬  is a champion for working families. He is running for U.S. Senate in Ohio to take on the rigged system to help people who work hard. Brown recounts the 1894 Cripple Creek miners' strike, the only time a state militia was deployed in support of striking workers—and a rare early labor victory.

In 1891, miners found gold near Cripple Creek, Colorado.

• Many gold mines opened in the area.
• After the Panic of 1893, many miners lost their jobs and moved to Cripple Creek. 
• Mine owners wanted miners to work longer hours.
• In 1894, miners went on strike.
• The Western Federation of Miners helped lead the strike. 
• Colorado Governor Davis Waite supported the miners during the conflict. 
• The miners won an eight-hour workday and $3 a day. 
• The victory helped the miners’ union grow.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• USCIS PM-602-0188. Are you a member of a labor union?  Do you volunteer with your labor union?
• 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?
• Read: When is Labor Day?
• Write: Labor Day is in September.

Family Fun:

• AFL-CIO: Key Events in Labor History | Battle of Cripple Creek
• Colorado History: United Mine Workers
• IBEW Local 428: Cripple Creek Miner's Strike of 1894
• Mineral Education Colaition: Educational Resources | Coloring Pages
• NPS: 200 Years of Labor History
• The Progressive: Cripple Creek 1894: The Time a State Militia Came to Help Strikers, not Hurt Them
• Untethered 4 Life - Colorado: Witness Gold Mining History - Tour a Mine in Colorful Colorado!
• uscitizenpod: Cripple Creek Miners Strike of 1894 coloring page

250 to 250:122. Great Railroad Strike of 1877, Narrated by Eric Arnesen

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Great Railroad Strike of 1877, Narrated by Eric Arnesen

Eric Arnesen is an esteemed American historian and professor at George Washington University best known for his award-winning book Brotherhoods of Color: Black Railroad Workers and the Struggle for Equality. Arnesen recounts the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, whose violent suppression led Congress to bar the use of the U.S. military against civilians.

In 1877, the United States had a bad economy.

• Railroad companies cut workers’ pay.
• Railroad workers went on strike.
• Some strikes became violent.
• President Rutherford B. Hayes sent U.S. troops to stop the violence.
• Many Americans worried about the military being used against workers.
• In 1878, Congress passed the Posse Comitatus Act.
• The Posse Comitatus Act limited the use of the U.S. military for law enforcement.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• N-400 Part 7:01: List where and when you have worked or attended school full- time or part- time during the last 5 years.  If you were unemployed, on what dates were you unemployed?
• USCIS 100:06. One is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?
• USCIS 128:65. What are three rights of everyone living in the United States? 
• Read: Name on right in the Bill of Rights.
• Write: Freedom of speech is in the Bill of Rights

Family Fun:

• Appalchian Forest NHA: A Second American Revolution? The Great Railroad Strike of 1877
• ArcGIS Story Maps: The Great Strikes of 1877 in America's Cities
• Brennan Center for Justice: The Posse Comitatus Act, Explained
• Congress: The Posse Comitatus Act and Related Matters: The Use of the Military to Execute Civilian Law
• Curriculum Bytes: The Great Upheaval: Railroad Strike of 1877
• Eno Center of Transportation: Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881): The Great Railroad Strike
• Heinz History Center: Picturing Protest: The Great Railroad Strike of 1877
• History: The 1877 Strike That Brought US Railroads to a Standstill
• Jessica Green: History of American Protest-Great Railroad strike of 1877
• Lionel Collectors of America: Train coloring pages
• MS Public Broadcasting: What is The Posse Comitatus Act and The Insurrection Act?
• NPS: 200 Years of Labor History
• One Human History: Rutherford B. Hayes & the Great Railroad Strike (featuring Alki)
• Steel and Sweat: The Night Pittsburgh Burned Railroad Strike That Destroyed 104 Locomotives in 1877

250 to 250:121. Star Wars, Narrated by Alexandra Vidal

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Star Wars, Narrated by Alexandra Vidal

Alexandra Vidal is a member of the Youth250 Bureau bringing youth voice and influence to the U.S. 250th commemoration and the next chapter of U.S. history‬. Vidal shares the cultural and artistic influence of Star Wars, the space opera that transformed the film industry

Star Wars opened in movie theaters in 1977.

• The movie tells the story of Luke Skywalker and his friends.
• They include Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2-D2 & C-3PO, and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
• They fight Darth Vader and the Galactic Empire.
• The movie used exciting new special effects.
• It mixed science fiction, Western stories, and stories about heroes.
• Star Wars became a very popular movie.

Creator George Lucas compared the Rebel Alliance to the American colonists.

• Both were small groups fighting against a powerful empire.
• The Rebels fought for freedom.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 9:8.b. Have you EVER served in, been a member of, assisted (helped), or participated in any armed group (a group that carries weapons), for example: paramilitary unit (a group of people who act like a military group but are not part of the official military), self-defense unit, vigilante unit, rebel group, or guerrilla group?
• USCIS 100:61. Why did the colonists fight the British?
• USCIS 128:76. What war did the Americans fight to win independence from Britain?
• USCIS 128:77. Name one reason why the Americans declared independence from Britain.
• Read: What do people in America want?
• Write: People in America want to live in freedom.

Family Fun

• AMC+: George Lucas on Star Wars Being Anti-Authoritarian | James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction
• Epic Sell: These 7 Speeches Changed Star Wars Forever
• Freedom House: Lessons from ‘Star Wars’ on the Fight for Democracy
• HelloGreedo: The Movies That Influenced Star Wars
• History: The Real History That Inspired ‘Star Wars’
• Lucas Museum of Narrative Arts: Lucas Archives
• Monday Mandala: Star Wars Coloring Pages (Free PDF Printables)
• NPS: Star Wars in Death Valley
• National Postal Museum: 41c Star Wars 30th Anniversary pane of fifteen
• Pacific Council: How International Politics Influenced “Star Wars”
• Park Conservancy: A Star Wars Fan’s Guide to Exploring Golden Gate National Recreation Area
• Smithsonian: Star Wars: The Force is Strong at the Smithsonian
• Super Coloring: 45 Coloring Pages of American Revolutionary War
• Star Wars: Andor Season 2 | Mon Mothma’s Senate Speech
• Young Indy Chroniclers: George Lucas: Heroes, Myths, and Magic PBS American Masters 1993

250 to 250:120. Stonewall Uprising, Narrated by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Stonewall Uprising, Narrated by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde

Mariann Edgar Budde serves as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, the first woman elected to the role. She is known for her dedication to justice, mercy, and moral courage, themes she explored in her recent book, How We Learn to Be Brave. She explains how the 1969 Stonewall Uprising marked a new chapter in the cause of human freedom

The Stonewall Uprising began on June 28, 1969.

• It happened at the Stonewall Inn in New York City.
• Police raided the bar.
• Gay people often faced unfair treatment at that time.
• People at Stonewall protested against the police raid.
• The protests continued for several days.
• Stonewall helped the gay rights movement grow.
• More groups began working for equal rights.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 9:7.g. Have you causen do harm or suffering to any person because of their race, religion, national origin, membership in a particular group, or political opinion?
• USCIS 100:51. What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?
• USCIS 128:65.   What are three rights of everyone living in the United States? 
• Read: What do people in America have?
• Write: People in America have freedom.

Family Fun:

• History: How the Stonewall Riots Sparked a Movement
• LOC: 1969: Stonewall Uprising
• NPS: Stonewall National Monument | Elementary Mini Unit | High School Mini Unit | Junior Ranger Activity Booklet | 5th Anniversary playlist
• NYTimes Opinion: How Stonewall Became Famous
• PBS American Experience: Stonewall Uprising | Chapter 1 
• PBS Learning Media: The Origins and Impact of the Stonewall Uprising
• Smithsonian: Pride | Illegal to be You: Gay History Beyond Stonewall 
• Resistance Rangers: JR Resistance Rangers Activity Booklet
• Smithsonian Channel: The Day the Stonewall Riots Shook America
• Stonewall National Museum: 1969 Stonewall Uprising Reenactment: June 29, 2024
• Untold History: The Lavender Scare
• uscitizenpor: American PRIDE | quiz pdf

250 to 250:119. Bretton Woods, Narrated by Senator Maggie Hassan

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Bretton Woods, Narrated by Senator Maggie Hassan

Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire is a lawmaker and attorney who is one of only three women in American history elected as both a U.S. Senator and a state governor. Hassan explains how the 1944 Bretton Woods conference in New Hampshire helped to create the modern global economic order.

In 1944, more than 40 countries met in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire.

• They wanted countries to work together after World War II.
• They created the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
• They created the World Bank.
• They also created the World Trade Organization.
• The U.S. dollar became important in this system.
• The World Bank helped countries rebuild after the war.
• Henry Morgenthau Jr. said peace and prosperity should be shared by everyone.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• USCIS N-400 Part 7:01. How do you support yourself financially?
• USCIS 100:11. / 128:12. What is the economic system of the United States?
• Read: Who is on the dollar bill?
• Write: President Washington is on the one-dollar bill.

Family Fun:

• Bretton Woods Committee: 80 Years Since the Bretton Woods Conference
• Center for Strategic & International Studies: What’s the “Bretton Woods” System?
• IMF: What is Economics? | What is the IMF? | Out of the Ashes (Rebuilding the International Monetary System)
• NPS: Henry Morgenthau, Jr. (1891-1967)
• National WWII Musem, NOLA: The 1944 Bretton Woods Conference
• One Minute Economics: The Bretton Woods Monetary System (1944 - 1971) Explained in One Minute
• US Currency: Education | Carnival Thrills and Dollar Bills: A book about U.S. currency (English) (Spanish) | coloring pages
• US Mint: America the Beautiful Quarter: White Mountain NH (very close to Bretton Woods) coloring page
• uscitizenpod: Peace and Prosperity coloring page
• Wall Street Education: Bretton Woods System
  

250 to 250:118. Robert Smalls, Narrated by Victoria A. Smalls

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Robert Smalls, Narrated by Victoria A. Smalls

Victoria A. Smalls is a Gullah native of South Carolina, award-winning Gullah Geechee cultural preservationist, artist and curator, specializing in Reconstruction Era history, and Founder/Principal Consultant of Smalls Cultural Resources. Here, she tells how Robert Smalls escaped slavery by commandeering a Confederate ship and rose to become a Union captain and U.S. congressman.

Robert Smalls was born enslaved in South Carolina.

• He worked on ships.
• During the Civil War, he took control of a Confederate ship.
• He sailed the ship to the Union Navy.
• Smalls and other people on the ship gained their freedom.
• Smalls later helped the Union during the war.

After the war, he became a political leader.

• He served in the U.S. House of Representatives.
• Smalls worked for equal rights for Black Americans.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• USCIS N-400 Part 9:31. Do you support the Constitution and the form of Government of the United States?
• USCIS 100:23. / 128:29.   Name your U.S. representative. 
• USCIS 100:74.  Name one problem that led to the Civil War.
• USCIS 128:96. What U.S. war ended slavery?
• Read: What does Congress do?
• Write: Congress makes laws.  |  Congress meets in Washington, D.C. to make laws. 

Family Fun:

• Essential Civil War Curriculum: Robert Smalls
• Hagley: Robert Smalls: Slave and Civil War Hero
• House: Representative Robert Smalls of South Carolina
• Late Show with Steven Colbert: Rep. Clyburn On Robert Smalls, A Giant Of South Carolina's Political History
• LOC: Robert Smalls: A Resource Guide
• NPS: Reconstruction Era National Historical Park | Robert Smalls 
• Origins OSU: The Remarkable Life of Robert Smalls
• PBS News Hour: How Robert Smalls sailed his crew and family to freedom during the Civil War
• SC Law: “All for Civil Rights”: Robert Smalls (1839–1915)
• TEDx: The Audacity of Robert Smalls | Michael B. Moore | TEDxStMarksSchool
• The American Story: The Escaped Civil War Slave Who Impersonated A Confederate Captain
• The Big Story: Robert Smalls: How a Slave Became an American Hero
• Unbossed: US Navy Honors Freedom Fighter Robert Smalls
• uscitizenpod: Robert Smalls coloring page
• Zinn Education Project: Nov. 3, 1874: Robert Smalls Elected