250 to 250: 41. Obergefell v. Hodges, Narrated by Jim Obergefell

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Obergefell v. Hodges, Narrated by Jim Obergefell

Jim Obergefell is a leading LBGTQ+ activist, speaker, producer, author, and wine entrepreneur. Here he stories the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court case, which guaranteed the marriage rights of same-sex couples across the United States.

In 2015, the Obergefell v. Hodges case changed U.S. law.

• The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry.
• All states must recognize same-sex marriages.
• The Court based its decision on the 14th Amendment (due process / equal protection).

Jim Obergefell married his partner, John Arthur.  

• They got married in Maryland, but they lived in Ohio.
• Ohio did not recognize their marriage.
• John Arthur was very sick and wanted to be recognized as a married man.
• Jim Obergefell filed a lawsuit.
• The court ruled in their favor.
• John Arthur's Ohio death certificate listed him as married.

The Supreme Court later upheld the right of same-sex couples to marry.

Since 2015, hundreds of thousands of same-sex couples have married in the United States.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 5:01 What is your current marital status?
• USCIS 100:02. What does the Constitution do?
• USCIS 100:37. / 128:51. What does the judicial branch do?
• USCIS 128:50. What is one part of the judicial branch?

Family Fun

• ACLU: Activity Book
• GLAAD: When Was Gay Marriage Legalized in the US?
• ILRC: Family-Based Petitions for LGBTQ Couples: Considerations When Documenting a Bona Fide Marriage (2020) | 2013 factsheet
• NCC: Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) case | lesson plan
• PBS: Timeline of Same-Sex Marriage Laws | Wiki timeline
• Retro Report: How the Supreme Court Ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges Legalized Same-Sex Marriage
• Teaching American History: Obergefell v. Hodges
• USCIS Policy Manual: Spouses: Same-Sex Marriages footnote 14 | footnote 15
• VOA Learning English: US Supreme Court Rules Same-Sex Marriage Is Legal in 2015 | video
• VOX: The march of marriage equality

250 to 250: 40. Boundary Waters, Narrated by Senator Tina Smith

 

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Boundary Waters, Narrated by Senator Tina Smith

Senator Tina Smith is a leading advocate for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in northern Minnesota. Last year, Senator Smith introduced the Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection Act to put permanent protections in place for the area, the first bill of its kind since 1978.

In 1907, Theodore Roosevelt helped protect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

• The Boundary Waters is on the border between Minnesota and Canada.
• It has many forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife.
• People often travel there by canoe.
• The area is the ancestral homeland of the Anishinaabe peoples (Chippewa, Ojibwe).
• It was also used by French Canadian fur traders.

About 150,000 people visit the Boundary Waters each year.

• In 2026, a company proposed building a copper mine near the area.
• Many people worried the copper mine could pollute the water.
• Theodore Roosevelt's family spoke out with others to protect the Boundary Waters.
• They asked Congress to keep this wilderness safe.
• The Boundary Waters is one of America's most important natural places.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• USCIS PM-602-0188: How do you volunteer or help your community?
• USCIS 100:92. Name one state that borders Canada.
• USCIS 100:87. / 128:117.  Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
• USCIS 128: 69. What are two examples of civic participation in the United States?

Family Fun:

• GLIFWC: Ojibwe Treaty Rights—Connections to Land & Water
• NPS: Grand Portage Nation Monument Junior Ranger booklet
• NYTimes: Teddy Roosevelt’s Family Urges G.O.P. to Protect Public Lands
• Our Public Lands and Waters: Theodore Roosevelt's Descendants Join Boundary Waters Fight
• Public Interest Network: Boundary Waters coloring page
• Save the Boundary Waters: Kids for the Boundary Waters
• Wilderness News: Caribou Lake, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness coloring pages
• USDA Forest Service: Boundary Waters

250 to 250: 39. Civilian Conservation Corps, Narrated by Harrison Ford

 

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Civilian Conservation Corps, Narrated by Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford is an award-winning actor whose iconic performances across more than six decades have solidified him as a pillar of American cinema. Ford looks back at the Civilian Conservation Corps, a New Deal program that put thousands of unemployed men to work improving America’s parks and natural lands.  

Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).

• During the Great Depression (1929-1939), many people did not have jobs.
• The CCC gave jobs to thousands of unemployed young men.
• Workers lived in camps across the country.
• They built trails, cabins, and park buildings.
• They planted millions of trees.
• They helped protect forests, parks, and other natural areas.
• They worked to stop soil erosion and remove dead trees.
• Many workers learned new job skills.
• The CCC helped both workers and the environment.

Later, Lyndon B. Johnson praised the CCC as an important government program.

• He said: ""The CCC became a shining example of what government can do for the people."
• Today, the CCC is remembered as one of the most successful New Deal programs.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 7:01. Where have you worked or attended school in the last 5 years?
• 100:80. / 128.85. Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II? 
• 128:70.   What is one way Americans can serve their country?

Family Fun

• ArcGIS Story Maps: New Deal Resident Camps for Unemployed Women
• CFWVConnect: Career Exploration coloring book
• Civilian Conservation Corps: List of CCC Sites | Museums
• Corps Network: CCC History (influence on Job Corps, state initiatives, and beyond)
• Living New Deal: Reimagined CCC:Youth Programs to Combat Climate Change
• NPS: The Civilian Conservation Corps | CCC Time Machine lesson plan
• NPCA: How the CCC’s Work Lives On in National Parks
• SC State Parks: She She She camps during the Great Depression
• USDA: Forest Service: Color the Outdoors
• uscitizenpod: Civilian Conservation Corps poster coloring page

250 to 250: 38. Willa Cather, Narrated by Rebecca Solnit

 

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Willa Cather, Narrated by Rebecca Solnit 

Rebecca Solnit is a celebrated American essayist, author, historian, and activist known for her influential works on feminism, social change, and resilience as shown through Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities. Solnit speaks about Willa Cather, the Nebraskan novelist who captured the romance and struggle of immigrants in the Midwest.

Willa Cather was born in Virginia in 1873.

• As a child, she moved with her family to Nebraska.
• Life on the Great Plains inspired many of her stories.
• She wrote about immigrants building new lives in America.
• She showed how hard people worked to farm the land.
• Her stories described the beauty of the American prairie.
• She wrote about the hopes and challenges of pioneer families.
• One of her best-known books is My Ántonia.
• Her writing helped readers understand life in the American West.
• Willa Cather is remembered as one of America's great writers.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 2:07. If you are a lawful permanent resident, what date did you become a lawful permanent resident?
• USCIS 100:09. What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
• USCIS 128:73. The colonists came to America for many reasons. Name one.

Family Fun:

• Crayola: Nebraska
• Nebraska: marker | NYer article
• Nebraska Farm Bureau: Coloring Pages
• Nebraska Public Radio: Yours, Willa Cather
• US Mint: Nebraska Quarter coloring page
• Visit the Capitol: Willa Cather statue
• Willa Cather Center: Novels (lesson plans) | timeline
• Zinn Project: Willa Cather

250 to 250: 37. Jonas Salk, Narrated by Peter Salk

 

 

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Jonas Salk, Narrated by Peter Salk

Dr. Peter L. Salk is an American physician, professor, and public health advocate. Peter previously served as president of the Jonas Salk Legacy Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving and extending the contributions of his father, Dr. Jonas Salk. He shares how a team of researchers and millions of everyday Americans came together to defeat polio.

In the early 1900s, polio was a serious disease in the United States.

• Polio made many children very sick.
• Some children could not walk, and some died.
• Parents feared polio every year.

Jonas Salk and his team developed a vaccine against polio.

• In 1955, the vaccine was shown to be safe and effective.
• About 1.8 million children took part in the vaccine study.
• After the vaccine was introduced, polio cases dropped quickly.
• Today, polio is no longer a major threat in the United States because children are vaccinated.
• Millions of Americans donated money to the March of Dimes to support the research.
• Americans worked together to fight the disease.
• The polio vaccine helped save millions of lives.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 6:01: How many children do you have under the age of 18?
• USCIS 100:53.  What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
• USCIS 128:118. Name one example of an American innovation.

Family Fun:

• Crayola: Jonas Salk coloring page
• Evanston Round Table: To ‘the children of the world’: Glenna Goodacre’s sculpture celebrates Rotary’s battle against polio
• End Polio: resources | coloring pages
• NMAH: Preventing Polio
• NPS: A Disability Christmas Carol
• PBS American Experience: The Polio Crusade full video | short lessons
• Smithsonian Channel: President Roosevelt's War on Polio
• Smithsonian Magazine: America at 250: The Revolutionary Spark: When the Fear of Polio Gripped the World, Jonas Salk’s Determination Led to a Liberating Medical Breakthrough
• TED-ed: The real reason polio is so dangerous

Naturalization Ceremony at Mount Vernon 2026

 

George Washington's Mount Vernon: Naturalization Ceremony at Mount Vernon 2026

On the 250th anniversary of American Independence we welcomed 150 of our newest citizens from 50 countries in a naturalization ceremony on the historic bowling green at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

• Welcome and Opening Remarks: (0:00 - 5:52)
• Introduction of Guests: (6:04 - 7:35)
• National Anthem: (7:43 - 8:54)
• Roll Call of Countries: (9:15 - 11:27)
• Administration of the Oath of Allegiance: (12:16 - 14:25)
• Pledge of Allegiance: (15:03 - 16:34)
• Address by Dr. Douglas Bradburn: (16:40 - 25:05)
• Address by George Washington (Portrayal): (25:19 - 28:57)
• Closing Remarks and Instructions: (28:58 - 31:04)
• God Bless America: (31:15 - 32:04)

Also watch C-Span: Judge at Naturalization Ceremony: "Please know, you are all welcome."

Judge Elizabeth K. Dillon at Naturalization Ceremony at Monticello: 

Please know, you are all welcome. 
Some of you may have come the the United States for a better life, some for a job, some for family, some for education, some for love and some for freedom. 
Some of you may have lived here for a lifetime and others may have arrived more recently. Some may have come from free countries where you transition was one of choice and others may have risked your lives to flee a country where there is no freedom and no choice. 
Please know, you are all welcome.

More Ceremonies:

• King 5 Seattle: 250 people sworn in as American citizens at Seattle Center July 4
• Virginia Museum of History & Culture: July 4th Naturalization Ceremony | WTVR

250 to 250: 36. U.S. Virgin Islands, Purchase of, Narrated by Rep. Stacey Plaskett

 

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: U.S. Virgin Islands, Purchase of, Narrated by Rep. Stacey Plaskett

Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett is the first person in a territory to be named a Ranking Member of a Select Committee and is serving her 6th term as a delegate to the House of Representatives from the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The United States Virgin Islands are an important part of U.S. history.

• Alexander Hamilton lived and studied on the island of St. Croix when he was young.
• In 1917, the United States bought the islands from Denmark.
• The United States wanted to protect the Caribbean region.
• The people of the Virgin Islands were not allowed to vote on the sale.
• They did not receive any of the money from the purchase.
• People from the Virgin Islands have served in the U.S. military.
• They have helped the United States in many ways.
• They have been soldiers, leaders, artists, and public servants.
• Today, the U.S. Virgin Islands is a U.S. territory.
• The people of the U.S. Virgin Islands are U.S. citizens.
• Many people continue to work for equal rights and equal representation.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 2:08 What is your Country of Birth?
• N-400 Part 2:09 What is your Country of Citizenship or Nationality?
• USCIS 100:91. Name one U.S. territory.
• USCIS 128:70. What is one way Americans can serve their country?

Family Fun:

• Ballotpedia: Citizenship status in territories of the United States
• Friends of US Virgina Islands National Parks: School Kids In The Park Teaching Resources (many activity books and coloring pages)
• NPS: Christianstide National Historical Site Unior Ranger Book
• US Mint: US Virgin Island Quarter coloring page
• US Commission on Human Rights: The Status of Civil Rights in the U.S. Virgin Islands (see page 11 for Key Conclusions)
• USA.gov: US Virgin Islands
• uscitizenpod: U.S. Citizenship Resources for Caribbean American Heritage Month
• VI: Government of the United States Virgin Islands
• Wikipedia: Elections in the United States Virgin Islands

250 to 250: 35. Patsy Mink, Narrated by Senator Mazie Hirono

 

 

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Patsy Mink, Narrated by Senator Mazie Hirono

Senator Mazie K. Hirono of Hawaii was the first elected female senator from her state and the first Asian-American woman elected to the U.S. Senate. Senator Hirono shares the legacy of U.S. Representative Patsy Mink, who fought tirelessly for gender equality in American education.

Patsy Mink was born in Hawaii when it was a U.S. territory.

• She was the granddaughter of Japanese immigrants.
• She became the first Asian American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
• She believed that education helps create equal opportunities.

Patsy Mink worked to make schools fair for everyone.

• She helped write Title IX.
• Title IX became law in 1972.
• The law prohibits discrimination based on sex in schools and colleges that receive federal money.
• Title IX gave more girls and women equal opportunities in education and sports.
• Patsy Mink worked for equal rights throughout her life.
• After her death in 2002, Congress renamed the law the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act.
• Today, Patsy Mink is remembered as a leader for equal rights and education.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 2:05: Are you male or female?
• USCIS 100:16. Who makes federal laws?
• USCIS 100:23. / 128:28. Name your U.S. representative. 
• USCIS 128:10. Name two important ideas from the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

Family Fun:

• LOC: Patsy Takemoto Mink’s Title IX Legacy
• National Archives: The 50th Anniversary of Title IX 
• NMAH: We Belong Here (Title IX online exhibit)
• U.S. Mint: Coin Classroom: Patsy Mink quarter coloring page
• USPS: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Title IX

250 to 250: 34. Special Olympics, Narrated by Maria Shriver

 

Heather Cox Richardson and Maria Shriver: Special Olympics, Narrated by Maria Shriver

Maria Shriver is a Peabody and Emmy Award-winning journalist and producer, a bestselling author, and former First Lady of California. She is the founder of the Women's Alzheimer's Movement at Cleveland Clinic and The Sunday Paper, and the co-founder of MOSH. Shriver tells how her mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, inspired by her sister Rosemary, founded the Special Olympics movement from a backyard camp built on dignity and inclusion.

The Special Olympics:

• Rosemary Kennedy was born in 1918.
• At that time, people with intellectual disabilities often faced unfair treatment.
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver wanted to help people like her sister Rosemary.
• In 1962, she started Camp Shriver in her backyard.
• Camp Shriver later became the Special Olympics.
• Volunteers helped make the program grow.
• Special Olympics gives people with intellectual disabilities a chance to play sports.
• It also provides health care, education, jobs, leadership training, and family support.
• Today, millions of people around the world take part in Special Olympics.
• The program teaches dignity, inclusion, courage, and friendship.
• The Special Olympics athlete oath says, "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."
• Special Olympics shows that everyone deserves respect and the chance to succeed.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• USCIS PM-602-0188: Do you take part in your community or do volunteer work in the United States?
• 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:

• 2026 Special Olympic Games 
• Best Buddies: Take Action
• Helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities build friendships, work, and live full lives.  Founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver.
• NPI: Portrait of Eunice Kennedy Shriver by David Lenz
• Postal Museum: Special Olympics Stamps 1| 2 | 3 |
• Special Olympics: USA Games 2026 coloring book
• Special Olympics: Finess Through Sports Playbook
• Special Olympics: Unified Young Readers Club Guide
• Special Olympics: Special Olympics and Paralympics
• Special Olympics: Volunteer Opportunities | Volunteer Resources | 
• Special Olympics Northern California (google Speical Olympics in your local area)