250 to 250:101. Horace Mann, Narrated by Nicholas Ferroni

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Horace Mann, Narrated by Nicholas Ferroni

Nicholas Ferroni is a nationally recognized high school history and cultural studies teacher best known for his work as an advocate for students, education policy, teacher pay, and host of the award-winning series, "Historically Correct." Ferroni profiles Horace Mann, the reformer known as the father of America's public schools, who championed free, universal education as democracy's great equalizer.

Horace Mann was born in Massachusetts in 1796.

• He is often called the father of the American public school system.
• Mann believed that education should be available to everyone.
• He worked to make public schools free for all children.
• He wanted students from different religions to attend the same public schools.
• He wanted a longer school year and better-trained teachers.
• Mann believed that a good education helped people become informed citizens.
• He believed education could make American democracy stronger.
• Mann later served in the U.S. Congress.
• He became president of Antioch College in Ohio.
• Antioch College admitted Black students and taught women and men together.
• Mann also supported equal pay for women teachers.
• He encouraged students to work to make life better for other people.

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 100:36. / 128.48. What are two Cabinet-level positions?
• USCIS 100:42. / 128:59.  Name one power that is only for the states.

Family Fun:

• Antioch College: Horace Mann Pioneer In Education | Antioch Works for Democracy
• Dedam Museum and Archive: Horace Mann: Right to Free Public School
• Franklin Historical Museum: The Life of Horace Mann
• History: Who Invented Public School in America?
• Historically Correct: Website | YouTube
• Horace Mann League of the USA: Public Education: Imperative for Democracy
• Kerrie Naylor: Antioch: Vision and Revision
• NPS: The Struggle for Equal Education (more at Smith Court Stories)
• Lori E. Varlotta: Horace Mann’s Enduring Legacy at Antioch University: Education as a Force for Democracy
• Voices of Democracy: Horace Mann, “The Necessity of Education in a Republican Government” (Fall 1839)
• PBS Thirteen: Teach Civics: ‘Schools should be incubators for democracy’
• uscitizenpod: coloring pages: Horace Mann; Helping Children Learn; Public Education; Higher Education; Learning Never Ends

250 to 250:100. Ralph Carr and Japanese Internment, Narrated by Jay Kuo

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Ralph Carr and Japanese Internment, Narrated by Jay Kuo

Jay Kuo is a composer, lyricist and two-time Tony winning Broadway producer. He is an appellate lawyer, the CEO of The Social Edge and the author of The Status Kuo, a daily Substack newsletter covering politics and law. Jay is the Chair-elect of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. Kuo tells how Colorado governor Ralph Carr stood firm in defense of Japanese Americans during World War II internment, even as it cost him his political career.

In December 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.

• About two months later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066.
• The order led to the forced removal and imprisonment of about 120,000 Japanese Americans.
• Many were U.S. citizens.
• Families had to leave their homes, jobs, businesses, and communities.
• Many were sent to camps surrounded by fences and guards.

Ralph Carr, the governor of Colorado, opposed the unfair treatment of Japanese Americans.

• He believed Japanese American citizens should have the same rights as other U.S. citizens.
• Carr spoke out even when his position was unpopular.
• He believed that taking away their civil rights went against American principles.
• His position hurt his political career, but he continued to defend the rights of Japanese Americans.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 9:31. Do you support the Constitution and the Form of Government of the United States?
• USCIS 100:43 / 128:61. Who is the governor of your state now?
• USCIS 100:81.   Who did the United States fight in World War II?
• USCIS 128:106. Why did the United States enter World War II?

Family Fun:

• 9 News: Colorado History: Governor Ralph Carr stands up for the rights of all Americans after Pearl Harbor
• AJ+: George Takei Talks Japanese American Incarceration
• Adam J. Schrager: The Principled Politician playlist
• Denver Post: Colorado’s governor Ralph Carr opposed Japanese Americans' internment
• Denver Public Library: Ralph Carr (1887-1950)
• George Takei Oh Myy: Allegiance (Broadway musical) playlist | stream or borrow dvd
• Facing History and Ourselves: Bearing Witness to Japanese American Incarceration
• Japanese American National Museum: Learn
• NPS: Japanese American Incarceration | Amache National Historic Site (near Granada, Colorado)
• PBS: The Principled Politician: A Story of Courage (Ralph Carr) | Before They Take Us Away 
• National Japanese American Memorial Foundation (NJAMF): Learn
• uscitizenpod: Governor Ralph Carr of Colorado coloring page

250 to 250: 99. Betty Ford, Narrated by Kate Barr

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Betty Ford, Narrated by Kate Barr

Kate Barr and her Can’t Win campaigns exposed gerrymandering; now YALLvote and the Can’t Win Victory Fund support down ballot candidates fighting rigged maps across the South. Here, Barr celebrates Betty Ford, the outspoken First Lady who broke taboos around breast cancer and addiction and transformed the role to fit her own voice.

• Betty Ford was the First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977.
• Her husband, Gerald Ford, was the President.
• Betty Ford spoke openly about important issues for women.
• She supported the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).
• She believed that being First Lady should not stop her from speaking about her beliefs.
• In 1974, Betty Ford learned that she had breast cancer.
• At that time, many people were afraid or embarrassed to talk about cancer.
• Betty Ford spoke openly about her cancer and treatment.
• Later, she also spoke about her problems with alcohol and pain medicine.
• She helped people understand that addiction needs treatment and care.
• She helped start the Betty Ford Center to treat people with addiction.
• Betty Ford became known for her honesty, courage, and public service.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• USCIS PM-602-0188. Have you ever used or sold illegal drugs?
• 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

• Cancer Letter: Betty Ford and the press conference that changed oncology
• Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum: Betty Ford | timeline
• Gilder Lehrman: Betty Ford: A New Kind of First Lady
• Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: Resources for Children, Teens, and Families
• National Archives: Betty Ford and the ERA
• National First Ladies Library and Museum: Elizabeth Ford
• PBS Learning Media: Betty Ford (several lesson plans)
• Postal Museum: Forever Betty Ford single
• Smithsonian: Betty Ford: A Legacy Among First Ladies 
• Smithsonian Magazine: Betty Ford’s Tabled Resolution
• uscitizenpod: Betty Ford coloring page 

250 to 250: 98. Land Between the Lakes, Narrated by Jason Herber

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Land Between the Lakes, Narrated by Jason Herber

Dr. Jason Herbert is a historian, public scholar, and outdoorsman from Kentucky. Here, Herbert explores Kentucky and Tennessee's Land Between the Lakes, a vast recreation area preserving centuries of natural and cultural history.

Land Between the Lakes is in western Kentucky and Tennessee.

• It is between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley.
• Native peoples lived in and used this area for many centuries.
• They included ancestors of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Shawnee.
• In the 1900s, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) built two large dams.
• The dams created Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley.
• In 1963, President John F. Kennedy made Land Between the Lakes a national recreation area.
• Today, it protects more than 170,000 acres of forests, fields, and water.
• Visitors can learn about farm life in the 1800s at a living history farm.
• Elk and bison also live in the area.
• People can enjoy fishing, hiking, hunting, and camping.
• Land Between the Lakes helps protect nature and American history.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 4:01b. What was your previous home address?
• USCIS 100:59. / 128:74.   Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
• USCIS 100:87. / 128:117. Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.

Family Fun:

• Energy History: Tennessee Valley Authority, World War II Posters, 1942-43 (gallery) 
• Hiking Over History: Eminent Domain & The TVA Takeover of Between The Rivers
• Kentucky Historic Travel: The History of Land Between the Lakes: From Settlements to Recreation
• Kentucky Lake: Understanding the Kentucky Lake Region
• KET: How Two Rivers Created Land Between the Lakes
• NAIATN: Native American Indian Association of Tennessee
• Tenenesee Valley Authority: How TVA Manages The Tennessee River System | Education Resources

250 to 250: 97. United Nations, Narrated by Linda Thomas-Greenfield

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: United Nations, Narrated by Linda Thomas-Greenfield

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield is a highly respected American diplomat whose career spans over four decades and six presidential administrations. Thomas-Greenfield served as the 31st United States Ambassador to the United Nations, the 18th Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, and State Department Director General. Thomas-Greenfield recounts the 1945 San Francisco Conference, where fifty nations founded the United Nations in hope of building a lasting postwar peace.

In 1945, World War II was ending.

• Representatives from 50 countries met in San Francisco, California.
• They wanted countries to work together for peace.
• They discussed rules for a new international organization.
• They created the United Nations (UN).
• The United States was one of the countries that helped create the UN.

Eleanor Roosevelt believed the United States should support a peaceful and democratic world.

• She became one of the first U.S. delegates to the United Nations.
• Roosevelt worked with people from many countries.
• She worked to promote peace and security around the world.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• USCIS PM-602-0188. Do you volunteer or help your community?
• 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

• Bill of Rights Institute: Eleanor Roosevelt and the United Nations (lesson & quiz)
• Eleanor Roosevelt Papers: My Day April 25, 1945
• Harry S Truman Library and Museum: Address to the United Nations Conference in San Francisco
• SF Museum: World Leaders and Delegates at the United Nations Conference in San Francisco in 1945
• NPS: Eleanor Roosevelt and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• US Mint: Eleanor Roosevelt & UDHR Quarter coloring page
• UN: The San Francisco Conference
• UN: Free Rice vocabulary game | more Educational Games and Activities
• WWII Museum: The 1945 San Francisco Conference and the Creation of the United Nations

250 to 250: 96. Flagler’s Overseas Railway, Narrated by Sara Wiles

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Flagler’s Overseas Railway, Narrated by Sara Wiles

Sara Wiles of Half Hopeful is a Florida native, activist, and content creator who uses her platforms to help everyday people better understand, connect with, and act on the political issues shaping their lives and communities. Wiles tells how Henry Flagler defied his critics to build the "impossible" Overseas Railroad to Key West, transforming the future of Florida.

In the early 1900s, Henry Morrison Flagler wanted to build a railroad along Florida’s east coast.

• He wanted the railroad to go from Jacksonville to Key West.
• Many people thought the plan was impossible. They called it “Flagler’s Folly.”
• Building the railroad was very difficult. Workers had to build across 25 miles of open water.
• Three hurricanes also caused problems during construction.
• More than 4,000 workers helped build the railroad.
• Flagler spent more than $50 million on the project.
• In 1912, Flagler traveled by train into Key West.

People called the new railroad the “Eighth Wonder of the World.”

• The railroad helped Florida grow. It supported farming, tourism, and new communities.
• Flagler died in 1913.
• A powerful hurricane destroyed much of the railroad in 1935.
• Flagler’s railroad helped change Florida and remains an important part of the state’s history.
  

POP Interview and Quiz: 

• N-400 Part 8:1. Have you taken a trip outside of the United States in the last 5 years?
• USCIS 100:90. What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
• USCIS 128:118. Name one example of an American innovation.

Family Fun:

• Flagler County Historical Society: Railroads
• Flagler Museum: First Train to Paradise: The Railroad That Went to Sea
• Florida State Parks: The Flager Railroad
• Hudson Valley NMRA: Henry Flagler & His Overseas Railroad
• Keys Life: The Eighth Wonder of the World – Overseas Railroad
• KWAHS: Henry Flagler: Builder of the Overseas Railway timeline
• Monday Mandala: Train coloring pages
• Newspapers in Education: Flagler's Florida lesson plans
• South Florida PBS: Flagler's Train: The Florida Keys Over-sea Railroad

250 to 250: 95. Joseph Pulitzer, Narrated by Connie Schultz

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Joseph Pulitzer, Narrated by Connie Schultz

Connie Schultz is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, journalism professor, and author of the New York Times bestselling novel, The Daughters of Erietown who writes a weekly Substack newsletter, Hopefully Yours. Schultz profiles Joseph Pulitzer, the immigrant publisher who shaped the modern American newspaper and lent his name to journalism's most prestigious prize.

Joseph Pulitzer was an important American newspaper publisher.

• He was born into a Jewish family in Hungary.
• He came to the United States in 1864.
• He first worked as a newspaper reporter in St. Louis.
• In 1883, Pulitzer became the publisher of the New York World.
• He believed newspapers should support democracy and serve the public.
• His newspaper investigated powerful people and organizations.
• Pulitzer used large headlines, pictures, and stories about everyday people to attract readers.
• He also supported investigative reporting to find and report problems.
• Some of his newspaper stories were criticized for being too dramatic or sensational.
• However, Pulitzer also helped improve American journalism.
• He died in 1911.
• After his death, the Pulitzer Prizes were created in his name.
• Today, Pulitzer Prizes honor excellent work in journalism, literature, music, and drama.

POP Interview and Quiz: 

• N-400 Part 9:7.g. Have you ever caused harm or suffering to any person because of their race, religion, national origin, membership in a particular group, or political opinion?
• USCIS 100:06. One is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?
• USCIS 100:51 / 128:65. What are three rights of everyone living in the United States?

Family Fun:

• American History & Culture Simplified: The Statue of Liberty: The Gift Nobody Wanted
• Columbia University: Joseph Pulitzer and the World
• Historic Missourians: Joseph Pulitzer
• NEH: The Pulitzer Prize Turns 100
• NPS Statue of Liberty Historic Monument: Joseph Pulitzer
• PBS American Masters: Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the People
• PBS Learning Media: Joseph Pulitzer | Funding the Statue of Liberty
• Postal Museum: Joseph Pulitzer Issue
• Pulitzer Center: Journalism Lesson Plans
• Share America: How do journalists win Pulitzers?
• uscitizenpod: Joseph Pulitzer coloring page

250 to 250: 94. Héctor García, Narrated by Representative Vicente Gonzalez

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Héctor García, Narrated by Representative Vicente Gonzalez

United States Representative Vicente Gonzalez of Texas is an attorney who has served in public office since 2017. Here, Gonzalez details the life of Dr. Héctor Garcia, who advocated for the rights of Hispanic veterans. 

Dr. Hector P. Garcia served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

• After the war, he returned to South Texas.
• He worked as a doctor and helped people who had difficulty getting medical care.
• He also helped Mexican American veterans get government services and benefits.
• In 1948, Garcia started the American GI Forum.
• The organization worked for veterans and civil rights for Hispanic Americans.
• Garcia spoke out against poverty and discrimination.
• He worked to end the poll tax in Texas, which made it harder for poor people to vote.
• He also supported better pay and living conditions for farmworkers and other workers.
• Garcia worked for equal rights and opportunities for Hispanic Americans.

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

• Reagan praised Dr. Garcia for his patriotism, community service, and good citizenship.
• Dr. Garcia's work helped make the United States more equal and fair.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 9.34. Are you willing to take the full Oath of Allegiance to the United States?
• 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:

• American GI Forum Foundation: AGI Forum History
• BESE: Hidden Figuras: Private Felix Longoria
• Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Foundation: Dr. Garcia's Story
• NLM: Transcending Borders and Bias: The Multifaceted Life and Legacy of Dr. Hector Pérez García
• KIII: Hispanic Heritage Month: Today is Hector P. Garcia Day in Texas (Third Wednesday in September)
• NMAH: The Spirit of Latina/o Giving from the Shadows of War
• NPS: American Science, American Medicine, and American Latinos
• PBS: Justice for My People: The Hector P. Garcia Story
• PBS Independent Lens: The Longoria Affair: Lyndon Johnson and Dr. Hector Garcia (clip)
• Postal Museum: 20-cent Hispanic Americans stamp
• uscitizenpod: Dr. Hector Perez Garcia coloring page
• VOA Creative: Pioneer Hector Garcia: Hispanic Heritage 2013

250 to 250: 93. Americans with Disabilities Act, Narrated by Marlene Sallo

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Americans with Disabilities Act, Narrated by Marlene Sallo

Disability and civil rights activist Marlene Sallo is the Executive Director of the National Disability Rights Network and former appointee of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights under the Obama administration. Sallo explains how activists pushed for the American Disabilities Act, which bars discrimination against people living with physical or mental disabilities. ‪

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is an important U.S. civil rights law.

• The ADA protects people with physical and mental disabilities from discrimination.
• Employers must provide reasonable help so people with disabilities can do their jobs.
• Public places must also be more accessible to people with disabilities.
• Many people with disabilities worked together to support the ADA.

In March 1990, the ADA was still waiting for approval in Congress.

• Disability rights activists held a protest at the U.S. Capitol.
• Some protesters left their wheelchairs, crutches, and other mobility devices behind.
• They climbed or pulled themselves up the Capitol steps.
• This protest became known as the Capitol Crawl.
• The protest showed some of the barriers faced by people with disabilities.
• Congress passed the ADA later that year.
• President George H. W. Bush signed the ADA into law on July 26, 1990.
• The ADA helped give people with disabilities greater access, equal opportunity, and protection under the law.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• N-400 Part 2:11. Do you have any physical or mental impairment that prevents you from demonstrating your knowledge of the English language or civics requirements for naturalization? 
• N-400 Part 9:33. Are you unable to take the Oath of Allegiance because of a physical or developmental disability or mental impairment?
• USCIS 100:16.  Who makes federal laws?
• USCIS 128:20.  Name one power of the U.S. Congress. *

Family Fun:

• Daniellability: The ADA Explained
• Disability Equality Education: Coloring Books, Pages and Clip Art with Disability Representation
• Disability History Museum: Education (many lesson plans)
• ILRC: Naturalization for Persons with Disabilities | 2026 comment
  
• Longmore Institute: Patient No More virtual exhibit
• NMAH: EveryBody: An Artifact History of Disability in America
• NY Times: ‘Nothing About Us Without Us’: 16 Moments in the Fight for Disability Rights
• NetFlix: Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution | How the ADA Changed the Built World (clip)
• PBS American Experience: Change Not Charity | clip | full playlist (stream or borrow the dvd)
• PBS Learning Media: The Passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act 
• PBS Origins: Do Disabled People Really Have The Same Rights?
• Postal Museum: Celebrating People with Disabilities through Stamps Curriculum Guide (added 2026-09-05)
• Smithsonian Kaleidoscope: Disability History is a People's History of Collective Strength
• TheCIL: The Center for Independent Living (so many resource!)
• Untold History: Judy Heumann: The Mother of ADA

250 to 250: 92. Betty Carnes, Narrated by Jessica Knurick

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Betty Carnes, Narrated by Jessica Knurick

Dr. Jessica Knurick is a science communicator and nutrition scientist, specializing in chronic disease prevention. She educates on nutrition science, food and nutrition policy, and how these forces shape public health. She is passionate about making science accessible, practical, and grounded in real-world impact. Knurick details the inspiring life of Betty Carnes, an Arizona ornithologist who fought for smoking bans in public places after losing her friend to lung cancer.

Betty Carnes was a bird scientist from Arizona.

• One of her close friends died from lung cancer at age 29.
• Carnes wanted to protect people from cigarette smoke.
• In the 1960s, she worked to stop smoking in indoor public places.
• Many people told her that change was impossible, but she continued her work.
• In 1971, she convinced American Airlines to have a non-smoking section on its airplanes.
• In 1973, Arizona passed the first state law in the nation to ban smoking in some public places.
• The law stopped smoking in places such as theaters, buses, and elevators.
• Carnes also created the popular “Thank You for Not Smoking” sign.
• Other states later passed laws to limit smoking in public places.
• Today, most states have laws that protect people from smoking in public places.
• Betty Carnes helped make public places healthier and safer.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• USCIS PM-602-0188. Do you volunteer or help your community?
• 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

• ALA: Quit Smoking
• American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation: At Risk People
• National Archives Foundation: Smoke and Mirrors
• National Library of Medicine: Tobacco Tour
• OK Help Line: Tobacco-Free Brain Games
• Postal Museum: The American Lung Association exhibit
• Project Prevent: No Smoking Resources
• Smithsonian: No Smoking pin
• SmokeFree.gov
• TED-ed: How do cigarettes affect the body? - Krishna Sudhir
• Third Hand Smoke: Kidz, Tweenz, and Teenz: No Adults Allowed
• Undo: Addicting Kids
• uscitizenpod: Betty Carnes coloring page
• We Speak NYC: No Smoking
• Wikipedia: List of smoking bans in the United States

250 to 250: 91. Charles Ives, Narrated by David Lang

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Charles Ives, Narrated by David Lang

David Lang is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer, a Professor at the Yale School of Music, and a co-founder of the legendary New York-based music collective Bang on a Can. Here, Lang profiles composer Charles Ives, whose radical fusion of European classical style and American folk traditions created a fearless template for American music.

Charles Ives was an American composer.

• His father was a band leader during the Civil War.
• As a child, Ives heard marches, patriotic songs, and church music.
• These sounds later became part of his own music.
• Ives studied European classical music.
• He mixed classical music with American folk songs and other American sounds.
• He wrote a concert inspired by the ideas of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.
• Ives wanted his music to sound different from traditional European music.
• His music reflected the energy and many different sounds of American life.
• His new ideas influenced other composers and musicians.
• Ives helped create a new and independent style of American music.
• Today, he is remembered as an important American composer.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• N-400 Part 7:1. Have you had any other jobs in the past five years?
• USCIS 100:98. / 128:123.  What is the name of the national anthem?

Family Fun:

• Clssics for Kids: Charles Ives
• Coolridge Nash: Charles Ives 114 Songs playlist
• Danbury Museum: Charles Ives Birthplace
• LA Philharmonic: Charles Ives Symphonies playist
• NPR: Charles Ives’ vision of America still strikes an unsettling chord | An American Maverick Turns The Symphony On Its Head | Classical Lost And Found: Charles Ives' 'Concord' Sonata As A Symphony
• New Yorker: Charles Ives, Connoisseur of Chaos
• Sergio Canovas: Orchestral Works of Charles Ives playlist
• Strange and Obscure Stories: The Man Who Invented Modern American Music (Charles Ives)
• Thomas Ligre: Charles Ives Songs playlist
• United States Marine Band: Variations on "America"
• uscitizenpod: Variations on America by Charles Ives coloring page

250 to 250: 90. Barbara Shermund, Narrated by Liza Donnelly

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Barbara Shermund, Narrated by Liza Donnelly

LizaDonnelly‬ is a writer and award-winning New Yorker cartoonist covering culture and politics for forty years. She pioneered live drawing, a form of digital visual journalism and directed the 2025 documentary, Women Laughing. Donnelly profiles cartoonist, Barbara Shermund whose irreverent New Yorker drawings captured the spirit of first-wave feminism and the liberated women of the 1920s and '30s.

Barbara Shermund was an American cartoonist.

• She was one of the early artists for The New Yorker magazine.
• Her cartoons were funny and sometimes challenged traditional ideas.
• She often drew modern women in the 1920s and 1930s.
• At this time, women were gaining more freedom and independence.
• The women in her cartoons had their own ideas, goals, and dreams.
• They often made their own choices about their lives.
• Her cartoons challenged traditional ideas about how women should behave.
• Her work reflected changes in women's rights and American society.
• Her cartoons became less popular after World War II.
• Today, people are again interested in her art and ideas.
• Barbara Shermund is remembered for using humor and art to show strong, independent women.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• N-400 Part 2:5 What is your sex?
• USCIS 100:77.  What did Susan B. Anthony do?
• USCIS 128:102. When did all women get the right to vote? 

Family Fun:

• Caitlin McGurk: Tell Me a Story Where the Bad Girl Wins: The Life and Art of Barbara Shermund (book)
• Cartoon Stock: Barbara Shermund
• CBS Sunday Mornings: The trailblazing cartoon art of Barbara Shermund
• Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum: Tell Me a Story Where the Bad Girl Wins: The Life and Art of Barbara Shermund (exihbit) | Digital Collection
• Brandywine: Tell me a Story Where the Bad Girl Wins: The Life and Art of Barbara Shermund (exihibit)
• Liza Donnelly: The Cartoons Of Barbara Shermund
• Monday Mandala: Garden Party | 1920s Party coloring pages
• NY Times: Overlooked No More: Barbara Shermund, Flapper-Era Cartoonist
• New Yorker: Barbara Shermund's cartoons | The Lovely Nineteen-Twenties Flapper Cartoons of Barbara Shermund

250 to 250: 89. Integration in Little Rock, Narrated by Reverend Liz Walker

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Integration in Little Rock, Narrated by Reverend Liz Walker

Reverend Liz Walker is an award-winning broadcast journalist, humanitarian, and ordained minister best known as the first Black evening news anchor in Boston. Reverend Walker credits her experience in the second wave of desegregation at Little Rock Central High School to her trailblazing efforts for intercultural dialogue and social justice.

In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against segregation in public schools.

• The case was called Brown v. Board of Education.

In 1957, nine Black students enrolled at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.

• They became known as the Little Rock Nine.
• A white crowd tried to stop the students from entering the school.
• The governor of Arkansas ordered the National Guard to block the students.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower took control of the National Guard.

• He also sent U.S. Army soldiers to Little Rock.
• The soldiers protected the students as they entered the school.
• Eisenhower said the country must follow decisions made by the courts.
• He said: "Mob rule cannot be allowed to override the decisions of the courts."

The Little Rock Nine showed great courage as they helped integrate public schools.

• Their story became an important part of the fight for civil rights and equal education.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• N-400 Part 9:7. Have you EVER ordered, incited, called for, committed, assisted, helped with, or otherwise participated in intentional harm or suffering to any person becaue of their race, religion, national origin, membership in a particular group, or political opinion?
• 100:84 / 128:112.   What did the civil rights movement do?

Family Fun:

• Center for Civic Education: The Struggle for Civil Rights playlist
• Eisenhower Library: Civil Rights: The Little Rock School Integration Crisis
• Facing History & Ourselves: The Little Rock Nine: Connecting 1957 to Today
• NMAAHC: The Little Rock Nine
• NPS: Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site | Lesson Plans | Junior Ranger activity book
• PBS American Experience: Eyes on the Prize, episode 2: Fighting Back (stream or borrow the dvds from your local library) | clip 
• Postal Museum: 37c To Form a More Perfect Union: 1957 Little Rock Nine single
• PBS Learning Media: Educational Equality in the Civil Rights Movement
• US Mint: Little Rock Nine Bronze Medal
• VOA Learning English: Brown v. Board of Education Helps Launch Civil Rights Movement
• Zinn Project: Little Rock Nine (several lesson plans)

250 to 250: 88. Jewish Community of Early Savannah, Narrated by Rabbi Robert Haas

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Jewish Community of Early Savannah, Narrated by Rabbi Robert Haas

Rabbi Robert Haas is the 14th spiritual leader of Congregation Mickve Israel in Savannah, Georgia and a sought-after lecturer, comedian, preacher, and interfaith leader. Rabbi Haas tells the story of the Jewish refugees who arrived in Savannah in 1733 and founded Congregation Mikve Israel, the oldest Jewish congregation in the American South.

The colony of Georgia was founded in 1733.

• Five months later, a ship called the William and Sarah arrived in Savannah, Georgia.
• The ship carried 41 Jewish refugees.
• They came to America to build new lives and practice their religion freely.
• They brought a Torah scroll and other religious items with them.
• The group established Congregation Mikveh Israel in Savannah.
• It became the third-oldest Jewish congregation in the United States.
• It is also one of the oldest Jewish congregations in the South.

In 1820, the congregation dedicated a new synagogue.

• Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to congratulate the congregation.
• Jefferson praised the United States for protecting religious freedom.
• He believed religious freedom could help people of different religions live together in peace.
• Jefferson wrote: 
• [America] has been the first to prove to the world two truths . . . 
• that man can govern himself, 
• and that religious freedom is the most effectual (relief) against religious dissension (violence).
• The story of Congregation Mikveh Israel shows the importance of religious freedom in American history.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• N-400 Part 9:7. Have you ever stopped someone from practicing their religion?
• USCIS 100:10. What is freedom of religion?
• USCIS 128:65. What are three rights of everyone living in the United States? 
• USCIS 100:58. / 128:73. What is one reason colonists came to America?

Family Fun:

• Breman Museum: The First Jews in Georgia
• CurrentGA: Congregation Mickve Israel Shares Letter From George Washington For America 250.
• GPB Education: The First Jewish Settlers of Georgia | Georgia Stories
• Hadassah: Savannah, a Haven for Jews Since the Colonial Era
• ISJL: Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities - Savannah, Georgia
• Jewish Coloring Pages: coloring pages
• LOC: From Haven to Home: 350 Years of Jewish Life in America
• Mickve Israel Savannah: Jefferson and the Jews 1 and 2 | A History of Jewish Immigration to the United States playlist

250 to 250: 87. Sandra Day O'Connor, Narrated by Joyce White Vance

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Sandra Day O'Connor, Narrated by Joyce White Vance

Joyce White Vance is a prominent legal analyst, Professor of Law, New York Times bestselling author, and former federal prosecutor who served as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama during the Obama Administration. Vance explores the legacy of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first female Supreme Court Justice.

Sandra Day O'Connor grew up in Arizona.

• She studied law and had a long legal career.
• In 1981, President Ronald Reagan nominated her to the U.S. Supreme Court.
• The Senate voted to approve her.

She became the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.

• O'Connor served on the Supreme Court for about 25 years.
• She carefully studied the facts of each case.
• She was often the deciding vote in important cases.

O'Connor retired from the Supreme Court in 2006.

• She hoped more women would serve on the Supreme Court after her.
• She said, “It’s nice to be the first, but don’t be the last.”
• Sandra Day O'Connor helped open the door for more women in government and law.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• Part 9:15a. Have you EVER been arrested, cited, detained, or confined by any law enforcement officer, military official (in the U.S. or elsewhere), or immigration official for any reason, or been charged with a crime or offense, or notified that you were being investigated for a crime?
• USCIS 100:39. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
• USCIS 128:55. How long do Supreme Court justices serve?

Family Fun:

• ABA Journal: Sandra Day O'Connor Coloring Page
• Gilder Lehrman: Sandra Day O’Connor: A Life of Action
• iCivics: The Life and Legacy of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Insight | Argument Wars game | Court Quest game 
• PBS American Experience: Sandra Day O'Connor: The First
• PBS Learning Media: First Female Justice | Remembering Sandra Day O'Connor
• Sandra Day O'Connor Institute: Civics for Life
• Supreme Court: Sandra Day O’Connor: First Woman on the Supreme Court
• Untold History: Sandra Day O’Connor: “Don’t Take the Bait”

250 to 250: 86. Green Mountain Boys, Narrated by Representative Becca Balint

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Green Mountain Boys, Narrated by Representative Becca Balint

U.S. Rep. Becca Balint has represented Vermont in Congress since 2023, making history as the first woman and openly LGBTQ+ person to do so. A former teacher and state legislator, Rep. Balint is the daughter of a working-class mother and immigrant father and has dedicated her career to fighting for working people, defending democracy, and ensuring every community has a voice. Balint talks about the Green Mountain Boys, the Vermont militia known for its heroics during the Revolutionary War. 

Ethan Allen was a farmer and landowner.

• In the 1760s, he helped form the Green Mountain Boys.
• The Green Mountain Boys were a militia group in the area that is now Vermont.
• They first worked to protect settlers and their land.
• During the American Revolution, they fought against the British.
• On May 10, 1775, they captured Fort Ticonderoga.
• This was an important early American victory.
• The Americans captured cannons and other weapons at the fort.
• The Continental Army later used these cannons near Boston.
• In March 1776, the British left Boston.
• Ethan Allen helped give the colonists hope that they could defeat the British.
• The Green Mountain Boys became famous for their role in the fight for American independence.
  

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 128:77. Name one reason why the Americans declared independence from Britain.

Family Fun:

• C-SPAN Classroom: The Green Mountain Boys and the American Revolution
• Ethan Allen Homestead Museum: History 
• Fort Ticonderoga: Learn and Explore at Home (activities, puzzles, coloring pages)
• Postal Museum: Vermont Sesquicentennial Issue | Fort Ticonderoga
• Vermont History: New Frontier: The Green Mountain Boys

250 to 250: 85. Shays' Rebellion, Narrated by Senator Elizabeth Warren

 

 

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Shays' Rebellion, Narrated by Senator Elizabeth Warren

Elizabeth Warren is a prominent and influential progressive U.S. Senator from Massachusetts with a strong focus on economic justice, consumer protection, and financial regulation. Warren recounts Shays' Rebellion, the farmers' uprising that exposed the weakness of the Articles of Confederation and spurred the drafting of the Constitution. ‪

In 1786, many farmers in western Massachusetts had money problems.

• They could not pay their taxes and debts.
• Some farmers were in danger of losing their farms.
• They asked the Massachusetts government for help.
• The government did not give them the help they wanted.
• Daniel Shays and other farmers began to protest.
• They closed some courts to stop farmers from losing their property.
• This protest became known as Shays' Rebellion.
• The national government was weak under the Articles of Confederation.
• Congress had difficulty raising money to respond to the rebellion.
• A private militia helped stop the rebellion in 1787.
• Leaders such as George Washington worried that the national government was too weak.
• In May 1787, delegates met in Philadelphia to create a stronger government.
• They wrote the U.S. Constitution.
  

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 9:31. Do you support the Constitution and form of Government of the United States?
• USCIS 100:02. What does the Constitution do?
• USCIS 128:14. Many documents influenced the U.S. Constitution. Name one.

Family Fun:

• AmRev: How Shays Rebellion Led to Our Constitution
• AmRevMuseum: Timeline of the American Revolution: A New Nation
• America in Class: After Shays' Rebellion
• American Battlefield Trust: Shay's Rebellion
• MHS: “This Convulsed Commonwealth”: Daniel Shays Attempts to Call a Truce during Shays’ Rebellion, the Agrarian Revolt Named for Him
• Mount Vernon: Shay's Rebellion
• NCC: 3.1 Info Brief: Summary of Shays’ Rebellion
• NPS: Springfield Armory National Historic | Shays’ Rebellion: A Nation on Trial
• PBS Learning Media: Shay's Rebellion Interactive
• STCC: Shays' Rebellion and the Making of a Nation | Lesson Plans
• Zinn Education Project: Aug. 29, 1786: Shays’ Rebellion