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

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.

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

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)

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 100:67 The 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) | Planners of Washington DC coloring pages (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