250 to 250:109. Cornerstone of the Confederacy, Narrated by Vernon Burton

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Cornerstone of the Confederacy, Narrated by Vernon Burton

Vernon Burton, acclaimed American historian, author, and Judge Matthew Perry Distinguished Professor Emeritus, is globally recognized for his pioneering work on the American South, legal history, race relations, digital humanities, and the American Civil War. Burton examines the Confederacy's Cornerstone Speech, in which Alexander Stephens declared slavery and white supremacy its founding principle—a claim the Union defeated and answered with the Reconstruction Amendments.

In 1861, Alexander Stephens was the vice president of the Confederacy.

• He gave a speech called the Cornerstone Speech.
• He said the Confederacy supported slavery.
• He said Black people and white people were not equal.
• These ideas supported slavery and white supremacy.

President Abraham Lincoln led the United States during the Civil War.

• The Civil War was fought from 1861 to 1865. 
• Slavery was at the center of the conflict.
• After the war, the 13th Amendment ended slavery.
• The 14th Amendment protected citizenship and equal protection under the law.
• The 15th Amendment protected voting rights regardless of race.
• These amendments expanded freedom and rights in the United States.
  

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• USCIS 128:96. What U.S. war ended slavery?
• USCIS 128:97. What amendment says all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are U.S. citizens?
• USCIS 128:98. When did all men get the right to vote?
• Read: Who was Abraham Lincoln? 
• Write: Lincoln was the president during the Civil War.

Family Fun:

• American Battlefield Trust: The Cornerstone Speech
• KCPL: Civil War on the Western Border: "Corner Stone" Speech
• NPS: The Civil War: 150 Years interactive timeline: The Cornerstone Speech | Alexander Stephens
• SPLC: Learning For Justice: The "Cornerstone" Speech

I will post more updates later today.  Thank you for your patience!

250 to 250:108. Route 66, Narrated by Ted Widmer

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Route 66, Narrated by Ted Widmer

Professor Ted Widmer is a prominent American historian, award-winning historical author, and the former foreign policy speechwriter and senior Advisor to President Bill Clinton. Widmer travels the history of Route 66, the iconic "Main Street of America" that carried Depression migrants, wartime troops, and postwar dreamers across the country.

Route 66 opened in 1926.

• It was an important highway across the United States.
• It was more than 2,400 miles long.
• It went from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California.
• It passed through eight states.

Route 66 became a symbol of hard times and new hope.

• During the Great Depression, many people traveled west to find work.
• During World War II, the military used Route 66 to move soldiers and equipment.
• After the war, many families used it to travel and move west.
• New interstate highways later replaced Route 66.
• Route 66 officially closed as a U.S. highway in 1985.
• Today, historic Route 66 is a popular tourist attraction and a symbol of American travel.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

• N-400 Part 8:01. Have you taken a trip outside of the United States in the last 5 years?
• USCIS 100:89. What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
• USCIS 128:103. What was the Great Depression?
• Read: What do people in America want?                                | Why did people come to California?
• Write: People in America want to work and live in freedom.  | People came to California for work.

Family Fun:

• 141fumi: Route 66 : Nat King Cole : with Lyrics
• American Writers Museum: Route 66: The Writing of an American Icon
• Main Street of America: Route 66: The Main Street of America (new film--in theaters Sept 2026; streaming available soon)
• NMAH: The People's Highway: Route 66, 1930s-1940s
• NPS: Route 66
• OMCA: Dorthea Lange Digital Archives: On the Road
• PBS: Mapping the Mother Road | The Neon Road | Samantha Brown NM, AZ, CA 
• Route 66 The Untold Story: website | YouTube channel | Story Map (outstanding!)
• uscitizenpod: Route 66 coloring page
• VOA Learning English: Learning English on U.S. Route 66! playlist | stories
• VOX: Why Route 66 became America’s most famous road
• Wikipedia: List of Route 66 Museums

On a personal note, my students and I miss Voice of America and VOA Learning English every single day.  #SAVEVOA

250 to 250:107. Cherokee Phoenix, Narrated by Rebecca Nagle

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Cherokee Phoenix, Narrated by Rebecca Nagle

Rebecca Nagle is an award-winning journalist and citizen of Cherokee Nation. She is the host of the First America podcast. Nagle tells the story of the Cherokee Phoenix, the first Native-run newspaper in America, which fought for Cherokee land and sovereignty and still publishes today.

The Cherokee Nation used writing to protect its land and rights.

• In 1828, the Cherokee Nation started a newspaper.
• It was the first Native American newspaper in the United States.
• Elias Boudinot was the first editor.
• He named the newspaper the Cherokee Phoenix.
• The newspaper was printed in Cherokee and English.
• President Andrew Jackson and Southern states wanted the Cherokee people to leave their land.
• The newspaper spoke out for Cherokee land and rights.
• Other newspapers across the country printed its stories.
• Some of its ideas were discussed in the U.S. Senate.
• The U.S. government later forced many Cherokee people from their homeland.
• This forced journey became known as the Trail of Tears.
• The Cherokee Phoenix still publishes news today.
• It is the oldest Native American newspaper in the United States.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz:

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

Family Fun:

• Cherokee: government  | coloring pages
• Cherokee Phoenix: History of the Cherokee Phoenix | newspaper website | YouTube channel
• NMAI: Native Knowledge 360: Cherokee Nation Case Study lesson plan
• NMAI: Price of Freedom: Eastern Indian Wars: A Civilized People
• NPS: Trail of Tears National Historic Trail | Junior Ranger Activity Booklet
• New Georgia Encyclopedia: The Cherokee Phoenix
• Story Maps: The Cherokee Advocate: Resistance Through Journalism
• Teach US History: Memorial of the Cherokee Nation, December 1829
• The Atlantic: Will Congress Fulfill a 184-Year-Old Promise to the Cherokee?
• WCU: Cherokee Phoenix (digital library)
• uscitizenpod: Sequoyah, inventor of the Cherokee Syllabary coloring page

250 to 250:106. Norman Borlaug, Narrated by Tom Vilsack

Remembering 9/11

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Norman Borlaug, Narrated by Tom Vilsack

Tom Vilsack is the former Secretary of Agriculture under the Obama and Biden administrations, the former governor of Iowa, and CEO of the World Food Prize Foundation. Vilsack is known for his significant contributions to global food challenge advocacy. Vilsack profiles Dr. Norman Borlaug, the Iowa-born scientist whose Green Revolution transformed global agriculture and saved more than a billion lives from famine.

Norman Borlaug was born in Iowa in 1914.

• He was a farm scientist.
• He helped farmers grow more wheat.
• He worked in Mexico, India, and Pakistan.
• His work helped fight hunger.
• His work was part of the Green Revolution.

Borlaug helped save many lives.

• He won the Nobel Peace Prize.
• He helped start the World Food Prize.
• Borlaug believed everyone should have enough food.

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 100:53. 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:

• Farm Journal: Harvest of Thanks - Honoring the Father of the Green Revolution
• Mark Gillican: Norman Borlaug playlist
• NPS: Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area | Norman Borlaug Boyhood Home & Heritage Farm | Lesson Plans
• National Postal Museum: 44c American Flag and Wheat
• NDSBEANCAP: Norman Borlaug & The Green Revolution
• OER Project: The Green Revolution: Feeding Billions in a Changing World
• PBS American Experience: The Man Who Tried to Feed the Whole World | clip
• PBS Learning Media: Borlaug Receives Congressional Gold Medal | Iowa Pathways
• TAMU: Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture and Development
• USDA: Why You Should Know the Name Norman Borlaug
• US Mint: American Innovation Dollar: Iowa: Dr. Norman Borlaug coloring page
• Visit the Capitol: National Statuary Hall: Iowa: Norman E. Borlaug
• World Food Prize Foundation: Norman Borlaug: A Lifetime Fighting Hunger
• Woyoho: Norman Borlaug - Feed The World, with Science & Technology
• VOA News: Norman Borlaug, Green Revolution Pioneer, Dead at 95

250 to 250:105. Declaration of Independence, Narrated by Heather Cox Richardson

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Declaration of Independence, Narrated by Heather Cox Richardson

Heather Cox Richardson is an award-winning historian and the author of Letters from an American. She’s the author of seven books, including the bestselling Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America. Richardson revisits the Declaration of Independence and the principles of equality and self-government that set America on the road to becoming "the last, best hope of Earth."

On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence.

• The 13 colonies declared independence from Great Britain.
• The Declaration said that all people are equal.
• It said that government gets its power from the people.

On August 2, 1776, many delegates signed the Declaration.

• Signing the Declaration was dangerous.
• The signers promised to support American independence.
• The United States has not always treated everyone equally.
• Americans continue to work for freedom and equality.
• The Declaration helped create the United States of America.
• Later, Abraham Lincoln called America, "the last best hope of Earth."
  

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• N-400 Part 2:6. What is your Date of Birth?
• USCIS 100:63. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
• USCIS 128:08. Why is the Declaration of Independence important?
• USCIS 128:09. What founding document said the American colonies were free from Britain?
• Reading: When is Independence Day? 
• Writing:  Independence Day is in July. 

Family Fun:

• American English at State: Celebrate Independence Day (pdf)
• Heather Cox Richardson: The Declaration of Independence | Journey to American Democracy
• LOC: Declaration of Independence: Primary Documents in American History
• NPS: The Declaration of Independence | Junior Ranger Activity Booklet
• National Archives: Declaration of Independence
• National Postal Museum: Declaration of Independence | 2026 stamp
• New York Historical: The Declaration of Independence // The Citizenship Project [E01]
• PBS: The Declaration of Independence & Birth of the United States (clip) | Ken Burns' The American Revolution 
• PBS Learning Media: Explore the Declaration of Independence
• Smithsonian: Signers of the Declaration of Independence
• TED-ED: What you might not know about the Declaration of Independence - Kenneth C. Davis (video)
• US Mint: Declaration of Independence Quarter coloring page
• Wikipedia: 1862 State of the Union Address: "Last Best Hope" quoted by other US presidents
• Untold History: Why did the Colonies Declare Independence? | Are All Men Created Equal? How the Founding Fathers Viewed Slavery (check for more)
• USCIS: For Independence Day
• USCIS highlights some of the resources for learners and teachers that are related to this important holiday.  Includes Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence and Establishing Independence.   Also check out two pdfs from the 13-pdf A More Perfect Union series: The Civics Test Guide to the Memorial to the Signers of Declaration of Independence and The Civics Test Guide to the Jefferson Memorial

250 to 250:104. Clara Barton, Narrated by Elizabeth R. Varon

 

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Clara Barton, Narrated by Elizabeth R. Varon

Elizabeth R. Varon is an award-winning historian and the author of seven books on the Civil War era, including The Wars of Clara Barton: One Woman's Fight for the Soul of America (forthcoming with Simon & Schuster in July 2027). Varon profiles Clara Barton, the Civil War "angel of the battlefield" who founded the American Red Cross and championed women's suffrage.

Clara Barton helped wounded soldiers during the Civil War.

• She brought food, medicine, and other supplies to soldiers.
• She cared for wounded soldiers on battlefields.
• People called her the “Angel of the Battlefield.”

After the Civil War, Barton learned about the International Red Cross.

• The Red Cross helped people during wars and emergencies.
• On May 21, 1881, Barton started the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C.
• She was its president for 23 years.
• Under Barton, the American Red Cross helped people during wars and disasters.

Barton also supported women’s right to vote.

• She believed women should have the same rights and opportunities as men.
  

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• USCIS PM-602-0188. Do you volunteer or help your community?
• USCIS 100:73. / 128:92. Name the U.S. war between the North and the South. 
• USCIS 128:102. When did all women get the right to vote? 

Family Fun:

• American Battlefield Trust: Clara Barton Collection at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine
• American Red Cross: Clara Barton
• Civil War Digital Digest: Clara Barton, Socks, and Solider Care
• Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum: Learn (lesson plans) | Women's Suffrage speech
• Kristen Southern: Clara Barton: Suffragist
• LOC: Clara Barton Papers
• Listen and Reas Along: Biography - BC - Clara Barton - Founder - American Red Cross
• NMUSA: Clara Barton
• NPS: Clara Barton National Historical Site | Learn | Code
• National Archives: Remembering the Geneva Convention through the words of Clara Barton
• National Postal Museum: Clara Barton | Civil War Series (1995) | Clara Barton and President Lincoln
• Smithsonian: At the Front: Clara Barton and the Civil War
• UUA: Activity 1: Story, Angel of the Battlefield, Clara Barton
• Untold History: Responsibility: Clara Barrton
• Women's History Museum: Exploring Clara Barton’s Legacy: A Field Trip into Women’s History Preservation

250 to 250:103. Melissa Ludtke, Narrated by Alex Coffey

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Melissa Ludtke, Narrated by Alex Coffey

Alex Coffey is a second-generation sportswriter known for her work for The Athletic and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Her stories were included in The Year’s Best Sports Writing in 2023 and 2024. Coffey tells how sportswriter Melissa Ludtke's 1977 lawsuit won female journalists equal access to locker rooms and expanded opportunities for women in sports media.

Sports reporters often interview players after games.

• For many years, male reporters could enter locker rooms, but female reporters could not.

Melissa Ludtke was a sports reporter.

• In 1977, she covered the baseball World Series.
• Baseball officials stopped her from entering the players’ locker room because she was a woman.
• Ludtke went to federal court.
• She asked for the same access as male reporters.

Judge Constance Baker Motley ruled in Ludtke’s favor.

• Motley was the first Black woman to become a federal judge.
• The decision helped women get equal opportunities in sports journalism.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• N-400 Part 7:01. List where and when you have worked full- time or part- time during the last 5 years.
• USCIS 100:06. One is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?
• USCIS 128:10. Name two important ideas from the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

Family Fun:

• 97yny: Melissa Ludtke in Conversation with Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton: Locker Room Talk & Gutsy Women
• Docs Teach: Melissa Ludtke's Complaint
• Beyond the Box Score: Meet the woman who fought Major League Baseball for equal locker room access for all reporters
• ESPN: The fight for women sports reporters' access to locker rooms is history -- or is it?
• Herstory: Oral History of Women Journalists: 19. Melissa Ludtke (Oral History of Women Journalists)
• History: Lawsuit prompts MLB to allow locker room access to female reporters
• MLB: How Melissa Ludtke blazed a trail for women in baseball
• Melissa Ludke: Baseball and American Culture + Women | Stories | Substack | Medium | Locker Room Talk book | Locker Room Talk Videos playlist
• National Archive Foundation: Ludtke v Kuhn, 1977
• Philly Baseball: The Ludtke Lawsuit Changed Sports Coverage Forever
• SI: The Everlasting Legacy of Melissa Ludtke, Who Dared to Join the Boys Club of the Baseball Press
• WGBH: Melissa Ludtke details her barrier-breaking legal fight in "Locker Room Talk"
• Worcester Guardian: Melissa Ludtke reflects on lawsuit that changed sports journalism
• uscitizenpod: coloring pages: Melissa Ludtke | Constance Baker Motley

250 to 250:102. Medicare and Medicaid Act, Narrated by Senator Andy Kim

Heather Cox Richardson and 250 to 250: Medicare and Medicaid Act, Narrated by Senator Andy Kim

Senator Andy Kim is an American politician and former diplomat known for being the first Korean American elected to the U.S. Senate and the first Asian American elected to federal office from New Jersey. Senator Kim works as a key defender against Medicare and Medicaid cuts and privatization while serving on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, as well as the Special Committee on Aging.  Here, Senator Kim traces the road to Medicare and Medicaid, from Truman's Fair Deal to Lyndon Johnson's 1965 signing that expanded health coverage to millions. 

After World War II, President Harry Truman introduced the Fair Deal.

• He wanted better public housing, civil rights, and health insurance for all Americans.
• Congress raised the minimum wage from 40 cents to 75 cents an hour.
• Congress also gave Social Security benefits to more people.
• Congress did not pass a national health insurance program during Truman’s presidency.

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson supported the Great Society program.

• Congress created Medicare and Medicaid that year.
• Medicare is a federal health insurance program, mainly for people age 65 and older.
• Medicaid helps eligible people with limited income. The federal and state governments pay for it.
• These programs have helped millions of Americans receive health care.
• President Johnson signed the new law on July 30, 1965.
• He gave the first Medicare cards to former President Truman and his wife, Bess Truman, to honor Truman’s work.

POP Interview and Civics Quiz: 

• N-400 Part 2:12.a. Do you want Social Security administration (SSA) to issue an original or replacement Social Security card and update your immigration status with the SSA if and when you are naturalized?
• USCIS 100:33.  / 128.43. Who signs bills to become laws?
• Reading: What does Congress do?
• Writing:  
• Congress makes laws. 
• Congress makes laws in Washington D.C.
• Congress meets in Washington D.C. to make laws.

Family Fun:

• AARP Answers: Medicare Parts A, B, C, and D (Explained)
• CMS: History of Medicare and Medicaid (timeline)
• House: President Harry S. Truman’s Fair Deal proposal to a Joint Session of Congress
• LBJ Presidential Library: Medicare and Medicaid Act
• Medicare: All non-English publications
• Medicare: Looking for help in other languages? 
  If you, or someone you’re helping, has questions about Medicare, you have the right to get help and information in your language at no cost. To talk to an interpreter, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
• Medicare Advocacy: Explainer: Changes to Medicare Eligibility Based on Immigration Status  H.R. 1 and Proposed Implementing Regulations August 2026 
• Monday Mandala: Doctor & Nurse Coloring Pages
• National Archives: Medicare and Medicaid Act (1965)
• Refugee and Immigration Services: Community Education Videos playlist (many videos about Medicaid in multiple languages)
• Senate: Medicare Signed Into Law
• Truman Library: Signing Medicare into Law | The First Medicare Cards
• USAHello: A guide to health insurance for immigrants