250 to 250: 33. Establishment of Washington D.C., Narrated by Lisa Ann Walter

 

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Establishment of Washington D.C., Narrated by Lisa Ann Walter

Lisa Ann Walter is an actress, comedian, and producer who proudly calls Washington, D.C. her hometown. Walter was born and raised in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area where she marched in protests for women’s reproductive rights and the Equal Right Amendment, as well as against the Vietnam War. Walter later went to college in the area, researching and writing her term papers at the Library of Congress. Her connection and understanding of the area are why she narrates our explainer about how Washington D.C. became America’s capital.  

After the American Revolution, the U.S. capital moved from city to city.

• The first capital was New York City.
• Later, the capital moved to Philadelphia.
• The country wanted one permanent capital city.
• Northern and southern states disagreed about where the capital should be.
• Alexander Hamilton wanted the federal government to pay the states' Revolutionary War debts.
• James Madison and Thomas Jefferson thought this plan was unfair to the southern states.
• The leaders reached a compromise.

In 1790, Congress passed the Residence Act.

• The law created a permanent capital along the Potomac River.
• George Washington chose the location for the new capital.
• The new capital became Washington, D.C..
• Washington, D.C., is still the capital of the United States today.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 4:01 When did you first begin to live at your current physical (home) address?
• USCIS 100:67The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution.  Name one of the writers.
• USCIS 100:94. / 128:119. What is the capital of the United States?
• USCIS 128:87. Thomas Jefferson is famous for many things. Name one.

Family Fun

• DC History: Interactive Timeline
• NPS: National Mall and Memorial Parks | Junior Ranger Booklet
• Open Data DC: Washington DC Historic Boundary Stones interactive map
• White House Historical Society: Survey of Washington D.C. - 1792
• Woodson Center: Benjamin Banneker lesson plan
• USCIS: A More Perfect Union: Guide to the Monuments and Memorials on the National Mall for the 2008 Civics Test (13 pdfs!)
• uscitizenpod: The Establishment of Washingon DC (updated) coloring page (note the old spelling of the river)
• "Potomac" is a European spelling of Patawomeck, the local Native American tribe.  There were many alternative spellings of this name.

250 to 250: 32. Eatonville, Narrated by Representative Maxwell Alejandro Frost

 

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Eatonville, Narrated by Representative Maxwell Alejandro Frost

Representative Maxwell Frost of Florida is the first Generation Z member of the U.S. Congress. Frost served as the national organizing director for March for Our Lives, a youth-led group fighting gun violence. Representative Frost explores the history of Eatonville, Florida, one of the first self-governing all-Black towns in America.

Eatonville is a historic town near Orlando, Florida.

• In 1887, Eatonville became one of the first self-governing all-Black towns in the United States.
• Many African Americans came to the area in the 1870s to work in orange groves.
• Some families wanted to build their own community.
• Twenty-seven Black men signed a charter to create the town of Eatonville.
• The people of Eatonville elected their own local leaders.
• The town gave African Americans more freedom and opportunities.
• Eatonville welcomed Black families seeking a better life.

Zora Neale Hurston grew up in Eatonville.

• She wrote about the lives, traditions, and culture of Black communities.
• Her famous book is Their Eyes Were Watching God.
• Today, Eatonville is remembered as an important part of African American history and culture.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 9:05b. Have you ever advocated the overthrow by force or violence or other unconstitutional means of the Government of the United States or all forms of law?
• USCIS 100:03. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
• USCIS 128:10. Name two important ideas from the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

Family Fun: 

• Eatonville Rising: About the Town
• Florida: State Symbols coloring book
• Florida DOS: Florica Black Heritage Trail
• PBS: American Experience TRAILBLAZERS | ZORA NEALE HURSTON
• PBS: Zora Neale Hurston | Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum 
• TED-Ed: Zora Neale Hurston's "Their Eyes Were Watching God" - Tanya Boucicaut
• Zinn Education Project: Aug. 15, 1887: All-Black Town of Eatonville Incorporated

250 to 250: 31. Zimmermann Telegram, Narrated by Daniel W. Drezner

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Zimmermann Telegram, Narrated by Daniel W. Drezner

Daniel W. Drezner is Distinguished Professor of International Politics at The Fletcher School, co-host of the popular Space the Nation podcast, and the author of Drezner's World on Substack. Drezner explains how a single German telegram to Mexico helped push the United States into World War I.

In 1917, Woodrow Wilson wanted the United States to stay out of World War I.

• Many Americans did not want to join the war.
• Some leaders, including Theodore Roosevelt, wanted the United States to enter the war.

Germany sent a secret message to Mexico.

• The message was called the Zimmermann Telegram.
• Germany asked Mexico to become its ally if the United States entered the war.
• Germany promised to help Mexico regain Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
• Britain intercepted the secret message and shared it with the United States.
• When Americans learned about the message, many changed their minds about the war.

On April 2, 1917, President Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany.

• The United States entered World War I.
• Wilson said the goal was to help "make the world safe for democracy."

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 9:36. If the law requires it, are you willing to perform noncombatant services (do something that does not include fighting in a war) in the U.S. armed forces?
• USCIS 100:79. Who was President during World War I?
• USCIS 128:101. Why did the United States enter World War I?

Family Fun:

• National Archives: Zimmerman Telegram: Decoding a Message activity | lesson plan
• National WWI Museum and Memorial: Interactive Timeline | WWI Map | Making Codes and Cyphers activity
• National WWI Museum and Memorial: How WWI Changed America: Citizenship and WWI
• Truman Library: ROOM 40: British Naval Intelligence and the Zimmermann Telegram lesson plan
• USCIS: A More Perfect Union series: The Civics Test Guide to the WWI Memorial
• uscitizenpod: 1915 Peace Protestors | April 19, 1917 Wake Up America Day coloring pages

250 to 250: 30. Hoover Dam, Narrated by Michael Green

 

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Hoover Dam, Narrated by Michael Green

Michael Green is a Professor of History in UNLV's Department of History and teaches courses on nineteenth-century America and on Nevada and Las Vegas. Green tells the story of Hoover Dam, the colossal public works project that delivered power and reassured America during the Great Depression.

Hoover Dam was built during the Great Depression.

• Construction took place from 1931 to 1936.
• About 21,000 workers helped build the dam.
• The dam is on the Colorado River between Nevada and Arizona.
• Hoover Dam provides water and electricity to the Southwest.
• It is one of the largest dams in the United States.
• Building the dam was difficult and dangerous.
• At least 96 workers died during construction.
• In 1935, Franklin D. Roosevelt praised Hoover Dam as a great achievement.
• He said: "I came, I saw, and I was conquered, as everyone would be who sees for the first time this great feat of mankind."

Today, about 1.3 million people receive electricity from the dam.

• Millions of people visit Hoover Dam every year.
• Hoover Dam remains an important part of American engineering and history.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• USCIS N-400 Part 7: When did you begin to work at your current job?
• USCIS 100:93. Name one state that borders Mexico.
• USCIS 100:80. / 128:105.  Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II? 
• USCIS 128:103. What was the Great Depression?

Family Fun:

• Easy Documentary History: Hoover Dam: The Impossible Construction of the Great Depression 
• History: Hoover Dam (S5, E15) | Modern Marvels 
• Kids Activity Blog: Hoover Dam Facts
• NPS: Lake Mead: Hoover and Davis Dams | Junior Ranger Activity Book
• TED-Ed: Blood, concrete, and dynamite: Building the Hoover Dam - Alex Gendler
• USBR: Hoover Dam Map

250 to 250: 29. Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring,” Narrated by Katherine Richardson

 

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring,” Narrated by Katherine Richardson

Katherine Richardson is a Professor in Biological Oceanography at the University of Copenhagen and active in the development of Earth system science. She leads the Queen Margrethe and Vigdís Finnbogadóttir´s Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Ocean, Climate, and Society and is an architect of the Planetary Boundaries Framework. Richardson tells of marine biologist Rachel Carson, whose 1962 book Silent Spring exposed the dangers of pesticides and sparked the modern environmental movement.

Rachel Carson was a scientist and writer.

• In 1962, she wrote the book Silent Spring.
• The book explained how some pesticides harmed nature.
• One pesticide, DDT, poisoned birds, fish, and other animals.
• Some companies criticized Rachel Carson's ideas.
• Many scientists and Americans supported her work.

Silent Spring became a very popular book.

• The book helped start the modern environmental movement.
• In 1970, Americans celebrated the first Earth Day.
• The U.S. government created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
• Rachel Carson reminded people that humans are part of nature.
• She encouraged everyone to protect the environment for future generations.

POP Quiz: N-400 Vocabulary Deep Dive (Latin and Greek Root Words!)

• "-cide": from the Latin "caedere," meaning "to cut" or "to kill."
• "Pest-": from the Latin "pestis," which originally referred to a plague, pestilence, or a destructive disease.
• Rachel Carson fought against DDT, a powerful pesticide that kills insects and animals.
• "Geno-": from the Greek "genos," meaning "race," "family," or "tribe".
• N-400 Part 9:7b. Have you EVER ordered, incited, called for, committed, assisted, helped with, or otherwise participated in genocide?
• Explain "genocide."

Family Fun

• Elle Cree / She Creates: Rachel Carson coloring page
• EPA: Watershed: Kids' Corner
• FWS: Let's Celebrate Rachel Carson activity book
• Migrant Clinician: Pesticide Comic Books (English and Spanish)
• NPIC: FAQ Comics (English and Spanish)
• PBS: American Experience: Rachel Carson (stream or borrow the DVD from the library) | short lessons
• Rachel Carson: Interactive Timeline
• Rachel Carson Landmark Alliance: Birthplace of Silent Spring
• TED-ed: How one scientist took on the chemical industry - Mark Lytle
• uscitizenpod: 10 Citizenship Questions in Honor of Earth Day (pdf)

250 to 250: 28. Joshua Chamberlain, Narrated by Senator Angus King

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Joshua Chamberlain, Narrated by Senator Angus King

Senator Angus King is an American lawyer and Independent politician best known for being the former Governor of Maine who has served in the U.S. Senate since 2013. Senator King explores the legacy of Joshua Chamberlain, the Mainer who helped the Union win the Battle of Gettysburg.

Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was an important leader from Maine.

• He served in the American Civil War.
• On July 2, 1863, he led Union soldiers at the Battle of Little Round Top.
• Many historians believe his leadership helped the Union win the battle.
• His actions helped protect the United States during the Civil War.

After the war, Chamberlain became Governor of Maine.

• In 1880, he helped peacefully settle a disputed election in Maine.
• People respected him for his courage, wisdom, and leadership.
• He received the Medal of Honor for his bravery.
• Today, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain is remembered as one of America's great leaders.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 9:45: If the law requires it, are you willing to bear arms (carry weapons) on behalf of the United States?
• USCIS 100:43 / 128:61. Who is the Governor of your state now?
• USCIS 128:93. The Civil War had many important events. Name one.

Family Fun:

• American Battlefield Trust: Joshua Chamberlain Lesson Plan
• Emerging Civil War: Joshua Chamberlain stares down the 1880 Maine rebellion Part 1 | Part 2
• Maine.gov: MAINE AND ME: Jobs in the State of Maine Government 
• NPS: Gettysburg National Military Park | Gettysburg Junior Ranger Activity Book
• Pejepscot Historical: The Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum

250 to 250: 27. Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, Narrated by Tom Perez

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, Narrated by Tom Perez

Tom Perez is a civil rights attorney, former Chair of the Democratic National Committee, and served as U.S. Labor Secretary under President Barack Obama. Perez tells us about the tragic 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and the workplace reforms that it inspired. 

On March 25, 1911, a fire started at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire.

• The factory was in New York City.
• Many workers were young immigrant women and girls.
• A total of 147 workers died in the fire.
• Some doors were locked, making it hard for workers to escape.
• The tragedy shocked many Americans.
• People wanted to make workplaces safer.
• A commission studied unsafe working conditions.
• It examined problems such as long hours, low pay, and child labor.

Frances Perkins worked to improve worker safety.

• New laws were passed to protect workers.
• The laws helped make factories safer.
• Frances Perkins later became the first woman to serve in a U.S. president's Cabinet.
• The fire led to important changes in workers' rights and workplace safety.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N400 Part 7:01. Where have you worked and/or attended school (full-time or part-time) during the last 5 years?
• USCIS 100:42. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states.  What is one power of the states?
• USCIS 128:70. What is one way Americans can serve their country?

Family Fun:

• Empire State Plaza: Virtual Visit: Hauntings - Fire of 1911
• MCNY: Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
• National Fire Safety Council: Free games
• NWHM: The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire lesson plan
• NY Dept of Labor: Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
• PBS: American Experience: Triangle Fire (stream online or borrow the dvd from your library) | short lessons
• Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition: Resources
• Smokey Bear: Fire Safety for Children
• uscitizenpod: Coloring Pages:  Shirtwaist | Women Picket during Ladies Tailors Strike 

250 to 250: 26. New Madrid Earthquakes, Narrated by Conevery Bolton Valencius

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: New Madrid Earthquakes, Narrated by Conevery Bolton Valencius

Dr. Conevery Bolton Valencius is a Professor of History at Boston College, and author of “The Lost History of the New Madrid Earthquakes” and “The Health of the Country: How American Settlers Understood Themselves and Their Land.” Dr. Valencius recounts the New Madrid earthquakes which reshaped the landscape, displaced Indigenous Americans, and prompted America's first disaster relief legislation.

Between 1811 and 1812, several strong earthquakes struck near New Madrid.

• The earthquakes happened near the Mississippi River.
• The shaking was felt in many parts of the United States.
• People felt the earthquakes as far away as New Haven and Washington, D.C.
• At that time, few people lived near New Madrid.
• The earthquakes changed rivers, swamps, and the landscape.
• Travel routes in the region were affected.
• Some Native American communities were forced to move farther west.
• The earthquakes caused serious damage.
• The U.S. government passed its first national disaster relief law after the earthquakes.

Over time, many people forgot about the New Madrid earthquakes.

• Scientists believe strong earthquakes could happen there again.
• The earthquakes remind us that natural disasters can change people's lives.
• Americans continue to recover and rebuild after disasters.

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 100:88. Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.
• USCIS 128:18. What part of the federal government writes laws?

Family Fun

• Arkansas Dept of Safety: 20 Interesting Facts: About Earthquakes on the New Madrid Seismic Zone 
• Earthquake Country Alliance: Resources in Multiple Languages
• EPA: Earthquakes
• History: How a Trio of Hellish Earthquakes Prompted America’s First Disaster Relief Act
• KET: The Great New Madrid Earthquakes | short lessons
• Kids Activity Blog: Earthquakes
• New Madris Historical Museum: The Great Quakes
• NPS: Lower Mississippi Delta Region: Concept III:New Madrid Earthquakes-Seismic Zone Tour Route
• USGS Earthquake Learning Links & Activities | New Madrid Seismic Zone

250 to 250: 25. Samuel Adams, Narrated by Stacy Schiff

 

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Samuel Adams, Narrated by Stacy Schiff

Stacy Schiff is a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer whose works include the New York Times bestsellers “Cleopatra,” “The Witches: Salem, 1692,” and “The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams.” Schiff chronicles the life of Samuel Adams, the relentless agitator who shaped public opinion and pushed the colonies toward independence.

Samuel Adams was an important leader before the American Revolution.

• He believed the British government had too much power over the colonies.
• He encouraged colonists to support freedom and self-government.
• Adams helped shape public opinion in New England.
• He communicated with leaders in other colonies.
• When British soldiers came to Boston, Adams led protests against British rule.
• He used the Boston Massacre to gain support for the colonial cause.
• He helped organize the Boston Tea Party.

Samuel Adams worked in the Continental Congress.

• He encouraged people who were unsure about independence.
• He wanted the colonies to declare independence from Great Britain.
• In 1776, he signed the United States Declaration of Independence.
• Adams believed Americans were fighting for liberty and freedom.
• He is remembered as one of the leaders of the American Revolution.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• USCIS N-400 Part 9:05b. Have you ever supported, been a member of, involved in, or in any way associated with any group that advocated the unlawful damage, injury, or destruction of property?
• USCIS 100:08.  What did the Declaration of Independence do?
• USCIS 128:77. Name one reason why the Americans declared independence from Britain.

Family Fun

• Freedom Trail: Boston Freedom Trail Sites
• MHS: The Formation of the Committees of Correspondence
• Museum of the American Revolution: Season of Independence interactive map
• NPS: Boston National Historical Park | Boston Freedom Train Audio Tour | coloring pages