60-Second Civics: Episode 5282, Differences Between Prime Ministers and Presidents: The Power of the Presidency, Part 25 There are important differences between Parliament and Congress, just as there are important differences between the powers and limitations on an American president and those on a British prime minister. Learn what these are on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5281, Prime Minister vs. President: The Power of the Presidency, Part 24 How does the prime minister of the United Kingdom differ from the American president? Find out on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5280, Congress and the Supreme Court Limit the President: The Power of the Presidency, Part 23 Congress, the Supreme Court, and public opinion limit the power of the president. Find out how on today's 60-Second Civics podcast
60-Second Civics: Episode 5279, Congress Can Limit a President's Power: The Power of the Presidency, Part 22 Congress has a number of ways to limit the power of presidents. For example, Congress can refuse to ratify treaties and decline to confirm presidential nominees. Congress can even refuse to fund the president's programs or abolish agencies.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5278, Check and Balances on the President: The Power of the Presidency, Part 21 The president's power is limited by a few different methods. For example, an amendment to the Constitution limits the president to two elected terms in office. Another powerful check on the president's power is Congress. Learn about more of the ways the president's powers are limited on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5277, Executive Orders: The Power of the Presidency, Part 20 Why have executive orders increased in recent years? Find out on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5276, Two Reasons for the Growth of Executive Power: The Power of the Presidency, Part 19 The president recommends legislation to Congress. The executive branch also plays an important role in determining federal regulations and elaborating laws. These factors have led to the growth of executive power.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5275, The Balance of Power: The Power of the Presidency, Part 18 Over time, power has flowed between Congress and the executive branch.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5274, Congress and the Court Reign in the President: The Power of the Presidency, Part 17 Can Congress and the Supreme Court reign in the power of the president? You bet.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5273, Presidential Power in Emergency or Crisis: The Power of the Presidency, Part 16 What does the Constitution say about presidential powers during emergencies or crisis? The answer may surprise you.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5272, Wars, Emergencies, and FDR: The Power of the Presidency, Part 15 With the support of Congress, FDR responded to the multiple crises that occurred during his administration.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5271, Diplomat in Chief: The Power of the Presidency, Part 14 How is the president America's diplomat in chief? Find out on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5269, The President as Commander in Chief: The Power of the Presidency, Part 12 The president is commander in chief, but only Congress can declare war. Congress has declared war only five times in the nation's history.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5268, The President and Foreign Affairs: The Power of the Presidency, Part 11 The president's power is at its greatest when it comes to foreign affairs.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5267, The President As Leader of Foreign Policy: The Power of the Presidency, Part 10 The president has a number of important powers, but the president's powers are limited in important ways.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5266, Franklin D. Roosevelt: The Power of the Presidency, Part 9 Find out why Franklin D. Roosevelt was arguably the most influential president of the 20th century.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5246, Anglo-Saxon Society: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 46 During the Anglo-Saxon period, which lasted from about 410 AD until 1066 AD, many different tribes ruled Britain. These tribes featured different social roles, such as "thanes" and "ceorls." Listen to learn more about Anglo Saxon society in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5265, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Wilson: The Power of the Presidency, Part 8 Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Woodrow Wilson each contributed to the growth of presidential power.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5264, Jefferson and the Use of Presidential Power: The Power of the Presidency, Part 7 Thomas Jefferson sought to be a model of republican simplicity, rejecting what John Adams's detractors viewed as the monarchical tendencies of Adams. But Jefferson wasn't above stretching the powers of the presidency when it suited his purposes.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5263, The Rise of Presidential Power: The Power of the Presidency, Part 6 Some scholars trace the rise of the powerful modern presidency to Andrew Jackson, who expanded the use of the veto and appealed directly to the public to support his position on the recharter of the Second Bank of the United States.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5262, A Strong President, But Not Too Strong: The Power of the Presidency, Part 5 The Framers of the Constitution wanted the president to be strong, but not too strong
60-Second Civics: Episode 5261, Above Partisan Politics? The Power of the Presidency, Part 4 The Framers of the Constitution envisioned the president as being above partisan politics. They wanted the president to be a person who had earned the esteem and confidence of the entire nation. This was one of the purposes of the Electoral College.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5260, A President's Inherent Powers: The Power of the Presidency, Part 3 Today: some controversial inherent powers of presidents.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5259, A Framework for Presidential Power: The Power of the Presidency, Part 2 Justice Robert Jackson's concurring opinion in Youngstown Sheet and Tube v. Sawyer (1952) sets forth a framework that is widely used to assess presidential power.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5258, Presidential Powers: The Power of the Presidency, Part 1 Today we kick off a brief series on the power of the presidency.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5257, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 4: Voting and Property Thomas Paine, with his characteristically sharp wit, pointed out some problems with the property requirement for voting.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5256, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 3: Enfranchisement and Disenfranchisement Who was allowed to vote during the early years of the American republic? It depended on where you lived.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5255, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 2: Voting in the Colonies What legacy of Greek and Roman democracy did the colonists inherit? Find out on today's episode.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5254, Voting, Elections, and Representation, Part 1: The Expansion of Suffrage How did the right to vote gradually expand in the United States? Find out on today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5253, Origins of the House of Commons: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 54 The House American Congress somewhat resembles the ancient bodies from Anglo-Saxon times. Learn more in today???s episode about these origins, including what they have evolved into for the modern British model of government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5252, The Witan: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 53 Before the Norman invasion of England in 1066, the Anglo-Saxon kings called together a group of advisors called a Witan. Learn more today!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5251, Writs and Courts of Equity: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 52 The Normans introduced the system of writs to English law. Soon the Normans found that controversies arose over the interpretations of writs.??They, therefore, introduced courts of equity, also known as Chancery courts, named after the king's chancellor. Learn more about these influential decisions in today???s podcast!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5250, What the Norman Invasion Meant: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 51 What did the Norman invasion mean for Anglo-Saxon England? We'll explore the influence of William the Conqueror and the Norman rule in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5249, The Norman Invasion of 1066: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 50 After the Anglo-Saxon king of England, Edward the Confessor, died in January 1066, an Anglo-Saxon aristocrat, Harold Godwinson, assumed the throne. There was a slight problem. William, Duke of Normandy, claimed that Edward had promised him the crown.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5248, Anglo-Saxon Law: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 48 Despite the Viking domination of England from 787 until 1042, Anglo-Saxon law and customs survived. The Anglo-Saxons valued a person's word, but Anglo-Saxon law required more than that.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5245, The Anglo-Saxons Arrive in England: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 45 With the collapse of Roman rule in Britain around 410 AD, small kingdoms emerged throughout Britain. The disappearance of Roman administration of Britain was sudden and dramatic. Learn more now!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5244, The Rise and Fall of Roman Britain: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 44 Over the next few episodes we will explore the evolution of British constitutional government, especially as it relates to the American colonies and American constitutionalism. Listen to today's episode to learn about the rise and fall of Roman Britain!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5243, Reason and Observation: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 42 During the Enlightenment, some philosophers were very much like scientists as we understand them today. It was the role of philosophers to explore both the world of morality and the causes and effects of nature. Learn more about the role of reason and observation in today's podcast!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5242, The Enlightenment and the Founders: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 41 The Age of Enlightenment was a European intellectual movement that celebrated human reason and sought to realize human potential. The Enlightenment spread to America, where it had a significant influence on the American Founders. Listen for more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5240, Humanism Shapes the Renaissance: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 39 One of the forces that helped define the European Renaissance was humanism. In fact, humanism helped create the Renaissance. Find out how in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5239, The Peace of Westphalia: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 38 The Peace of Westphalia of 1648 ended the Thirty Years' War and started what we think of as modern nation-states. Listen to today's episode for more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5238, The Reformation and the Rise to the Modern Nation-State: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 37 The Protestant Reformation led to the establishment of new churches that were separate and apart from the Roman Catholic Church. Some secular political leaders saw the religious reform movement as a chance to break away from the political authority of the Holy Roman Empire.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5237, The Protestant Reformation: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 36 The Protestant Reformation was a movement to reform the Roman Catholic Church that began in the early 1500s in Europe. It was a powerful stimulus to modern ideas about the role of individuals in the Church and the state. Listen to today???s episode to learn more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5236, The Renaissance and the Start of the Reformation: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 35 Renaissance is the period in European history when society moved out of the dark ages toward a recognition of the rights of individuals. Learn more about this period and how it influenced the start of the Reformation in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5235, Society in Medieval Europe: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 33 Medieval European society featured social classes that were hierarchical. There was no equality among them and a person generally could not move between social classes, creating a very stratified society. Learn more about this society in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5234, Feudal Europe: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 32 From the ninth to about the fifteenth centuries, the feudal system dominated Europe. In this system, a politically weak monarch shared power with the nobility. Natural rights philosophy stood in stark contrast to this system. Learn more in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5233, The Judeo-Christian Tradition: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 31 Classical republicanism and natural rights philosophy had a profound influence on the way the American Founders thought about government. However, the Founders were also strongly influenced by the Judeo-Christian religious tradition.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5232, Popular Sovereignty as Fundamental to Democracy: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 29 Popular sovereignty is a fundamental idea of democracy. It is also a simple idea: The people are the ultimate source of the authority of government. Find out more in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5231, Popular Sovereignty and the American Colonies: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 28 One idea from natural rights philosophy that gained traction in the American colonies was popular sovereignty.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5230, Individual Rights and the American Colonies: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 27 Given the abundant natural resources and freedom the colonists enjoyed, natural rights philosophy strongly influenced many of the American Founders. Find out more about natural rights philosophy in the colonies with today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5229, John Locke's Conception of Natural Rights: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 26 The Declaration of Independence, which reflects Locke's view of natural rights, states that people consent to government to protect certain natural rights, identified in the Declaration as inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5228, Thomas Hobbes and \"Leviathan\": Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 25 With the upheaval caused by war and revolution in seventeenth-century Europe, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke believed that political philosophy needed a new start. Learn more in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5227, Natural Rights Philosophy in the Declaration of Independence: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 24 The seventeenth century was a period of revolution and civil war in Europe. One area of contention was the divine right of kings. We explore more about natural rights philosophy in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5226, Civic Virtue, Moral Education, and Small, Uniform Communities: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 23 Civic virtue was and continues to be an important concept that American Founders drew upon from classical republicanism. We explore this concept and related aspects in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5225, Structure of Roman Republican Government: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 23 The Roman Republic inspired and informed the American Founders' own thinking about government. Learn more in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5224, The Foundation of Moral Education in the American Colonies: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 22 Classical republican writers supported the idea of moral education and this was echoed in the American colonial experience. Learn more in today???s episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5223, Cicero and the American Founders: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 20 The Roman statesman Cicero had a profound effect on the American Founders and, as a consequence, his ideas influenced our system of government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5222, Cincinnatus and George Washington: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 19 The stories of Cincinnatus and George Washington were told for many years in the early American republic as examples of civic virtue. Listen to today???s episode to learn more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5221, Cato as an Example of Civic Virtue: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 18 The founding generation of Americans admired heroes of classical antiquity as examples of civic virtue. Cato the Elder is one such hero. Learn more about this figure in today???s podcast!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5220, The Role of Citizens in Classical Republics: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 17 Classical republicans, who heavily influenced the American Founders, believed that citizens played a central role in government???s functions. Learn more about the civic duties of citizens in these republics and how they differ from today in our latest episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5219, Small, Uniform Communities in Classical Republicanism: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 16 Classical republicanism placed great emphasis on the importance of small, uniform communities as being essential for the success of good government. But why was this? Find out in today???s episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5218, The Roman Republic as an Example and a Warning: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 14 The Roman Republic began in the sixth century BC and lasted until the first century BC and the establishment of the Roman Empire. The Roman Republic was both an example and a warning for the American Founders.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5217, Classical Republicanism: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 14 The American Founders had read a great deal about the ideals and practices of ancient Greek and Roman city-states and the thinkers of classical antiquity. They were familiar with classical republicanism, which emphasized civic participation and the responsibility of citizens for the well-being of country.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5216, The Roman Republic: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 13 The Roman Republic was the ancient society that exercised the greatest influence on the American Founders. Historians during the founding era thought that the Roman Republic had done the best job of promoting the common good; that is, doing what was best for the society as a whole.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5215, The Problem with Constitutional Government: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 12 As the Founders of the new American republic knew, constitutional government can take many forms. A constitutional government can have a single ruler, a group of rulers, or rule by the people as a whole. However, this system does have flaws. Learn more in today's podcast!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5214, Popular Sovereignty and Higher Law: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 11 In democracies, the sovereign people are the ultimate authority that grants all powers exercised by government. This is called popular sovereignty. Popular sovereignty requires that the whole body of citizens consent to be governed by the constitution that they authorize and under which they live. Constitutions are forms of higher law.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5213, Constitutional Government Is Limited Government: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 10 A constitution limits the powers of government by defining and distributing its powers. However, just because a nation has a constitution does not mean that it has a constitutional government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5212, What Is a Constitution? Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 9 A constitution is an authoritative law through which the sovereign people of a democracy authorize a government to be established and grant it certain powers. Learn more in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5211, The Reason for a Representative Government: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 8 While the founders were supportive of democracy as a concept, they had their reservations about certain types. Learn more in this episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5210, James Madison and the Republic: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 7 What did James Madison think about the term "republic" and why is this significant for the foundation of the United States? Find out more in today'ss episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5209, The Mixed Constitution: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 6 From where did the American Founders learn about the idea of a ???mixed constitution???? Listen to today???s episode to learn about its Greek and Roman origins and more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5208, Why Aristotle Wasn't a Fan of Direct Democracy: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 5 Aristotle identified democracy as a corrupt form of government by the many poor. By "democracy," Aristotle meant direct democracy, where people make public policy directly. This is different from the type of government we call democracy today, in which, for the most part, we elect representatives to make public policy for us. Listen to today's episode to learn more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5207, Aristotle's Right and Corrupt Forms of Government: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 4 Aristotle distinguished between what he called the "right form" and the "corrupt form" of government. Listen to today's episode to understand the difference!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5206, Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Functions: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 3 Aristotle observed that every state, or country, must perform three functions: legislative, executive, and judicial. The American Founders were well acquainted with these functions, and formed the three branch system around them. Listen to today???s episode to learn more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5205, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 2 The American Founders learned a great deal from natural rights philosophers, such as Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. Natural rights philosophy taught that people have natural rights that others must respect. Learn more in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5204, History Lessons and the Constitution: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 1 The American Founders learned lessons from ancient history when creating their state constitutions and the U.S. Constitution. They learned from Greek and Roman history that although democracies may appear to begin well, they tend to end in tyranny when the poor attack the rich.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5203, Lessons from Classical Philosophy: Back-to-School Basics, Part 12 The American Founders studied ancient Greek and Roman philosophers to learn about how to create the best form of government. Classical political philosophers taught that human beings are, by nature, social creatures.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5202, Self-government in Virginia: Back-to-School Basics, Part 11 In the more than 150 years of European settlement of the British North American colonies, by 1776 Americans had developed many different ways of organizing local governments. Today's episode will cover self-government in the colonies, especially the House of Burgesses in Virginia. Listen now!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5200, Who Influenced the American Founders? Back-to-School Basics, Part 9 America's Founders learned about government from their experiences in self-government as subjects of the British Empire. They also learned about government by reading history and philosophy, particularly that of ancient Greece and Rome and the works of sixteenth and seventeenth-century philosophers.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5199, Trades and Land Speculation in the American Colonies: Back-to-School Basics, Part 8 While most Americans during the colonial period were farmers, others followed various trades, working as brickmakers, carpenters, printers, sailors, shoemakers, and even wigmakers, among other professions. Listen to today???s podcast to learn more about these colonial careers!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5198, Agriculture in Colonial America: Back-to-School Basics, Part 7 Most Americans during the colonial period lived in small villages or on farms. The size of farms varied widely, from small plots of land in New England to immense plantations in the South with thousands of acres.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5197, The Diversity of the American Colonies: Back-to-School Basics, Part 6 The American colonists came from a variety of countries and for various economic, religious, and social reasons. Learn more about the diverse group that came to settle in the colonies with today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5196, Native Americans and Colonial America: Back-to-School Basics, Part 5 The American colonists were not the first people on the North American continent. Native Americans had lived on the continent for at least 24,000 years. Listen to today's episode to learn a little more about Native Americans during colonial times!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5195, Opportunities in the Early American Colonies: Back-to-School Basics, Part 4 Many new arrivals viewed colonial America in the 1770s as a land of opportunity. Learn why in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5193, The American Founders: Back to School Basics, Part 2 The American Founders drew on a number of basic ideas and experiences to create the kind of government they believed would best protect the natural rights of Americans and promote the common good. Get introduced to some of the Founders in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5192, An Adventure in Ideas with We the People: Back to School Basics, Part 1 The history of the American people has been a great adventure in ideas and in trying to make these ideas a reality. Over the next few weeks, 60-Second Civics will explore the important philosophical ideas and historical events that influenced the writing of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5191, Permanent Campaigns: Campaign Finance in the U.S., Part 7 Permanent campaigns are increasingly noticeable in the larger perpetual U.S. campaign cycle, which is largely driven by meta-campaign demands and media sensationalism. Learn more in our final episode with Dr. Diana Owen adapted from the Strengthening Democracy in America Series available at learn.civiced.org.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5190, Constituent Service: Campaign Finance in the U.S., Part 6 Despite the warranted fears around big money, constituent service is an important way to help give a voice to more members of a particular congressional district. Learn more in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5189, Donations & Political Equality: Campaign Finance in the U.S., Part 5 Political equality is a fundamental and critical concept for the U.S. government. Given this, how does big money affect political equality? Learn more as Dr. Diana Owen explains more in this series adapted from the Strengthening Democracy in America Series at learn.civiced.org.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5188, How Donors Affect Representatives' Policy Positions: Campaign Finance in the U.S., Part 4 How do donations affect members of Congress' policy positions? Listen as Dr. Diana Owen shares about the effect that this funding has on representatives legislative actions in this episode adapted from the Strengthening Democracy in America Series available at learn.civiced.org.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5187, Types of Political Contributions: Campaign Finance in the U.S., Part 3 Today, there are many types of political contributions that people or groups can make toward a political campaign, and it???s difficult to keep the types straight. Dr. Diana Owen explains in today???s episode the differences between popular types of contributions, including the hotly debated super PACs. Listen for more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5186, Source of Campaign Funds: Campaign Finance in the U.S., Part 2 Continuing our new campaign finance series adapted from the Strengthening Democracy in America Series, available at learn.civiced.org, we ask Dr. Diana Owen: where does the money come from to run a political campaign? Listen to learn more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5185, Cost of Political Campaigns: Campaign Finance in the U.S., Part 1 Today we begin a special series adapted from the Strengthening Democracy in America Series, a free online course on the American political system that you can find at Learn.civiced.org. In this series, Dr. Diana Owen, a professor of political science and director and principal investigator of the Civic Education Research Lab at Georgetown University, explains some of the more complicated aspects of our political process: campaign finance. To start, we cover the cost and reasons for these increasing costs.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5184, Birthright Citizenship: Citizenship, Part 5 What is birthright citizenship, and how might American citizenship change in the future? Professor Henry L. Chambers Jr. of the University of Richmond School of Law explains the concept of birthright citizenship and discusses ways that the concept of citizenship might change over time.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5183, Rights of Citizenship: Citizenship, Part 4 What types of rights are associated with citizenship? Professor Henry L. Chambers Jr. of the University of Richmond School of Law explains some useful ways to think about citizenship, including how the rights of citizens have changed over the years.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5182, The 14th Amendment Transforms Citizenship: Citizenship, Part 3 How did the 14th Amendment transform citizenship in America? Professor Henry L. Chambers Jr. of the University of Richmond School of Law explains the impact of the 14th Amendment on citizenship and its particular effect on formerly enslaved Americans who were born in the United States.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5181, Citizenship Before the Civil War: Citizenship, Part 2 What was citizenship in America before the Civil War? Professor Henry L. Chambers Jr. of the University of Richmond School of Law explains the uncertain status of citizenship before the Civil War, particularly for Black Americans.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5180, Citizenship at the Founding: Citizenship, Part 1 What was citizenship at the founding of our country? Professor Henry L. Chambers Jr. of the University of Richmond School of Law explains how citizenship was initially decided by each individual state, and how this presented a challenge as the United States gained independence and evolved into a more mature republic.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5178, Brown v. Board of Education: Civil Rights, Part 4 How was segregation in public schools found to be unconstitutional? In this episode of 60-Second Civics, Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education, which determined that separate schools for Black and White children was inherently unequal.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5177, The Reconstruction Amendments: Civil Rights, Part 3 How did the Reconstruction Amendments set the stage for the ongoing battle for civil rights? In this episode of 60-Second Civics, Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5176, Frederick Douglass's Speech: Civil Rights, Part 2 How does Frederick Douglass's speech, "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?," capture the struggle for civil rights before the Civil War? Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains the 1852 speech by abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who himself had one been enslaved.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5175, Civil Rights at the Founding: Civil Rights, Part 1 What were civil rights at our country's founding? Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains the status of civil rights during America's founding period and how some Blacks responded to the Declaration of Independence and the outbreak of the Revolutionary War.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5174, Self-control Is a Key to Happiness: We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident, Part 9 Every day we make numerous choices in deciding what course of action will add to our well-being and what will make us happy. Making these choices is the pursuit of happiness. Learn more about this important concept in this podcast!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5173, Origin of the "Pursuit of Happiness": We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident, Part 8 In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson announced that every human being has "certain unalienable rights," among which are those to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." But what did Jefferson mean by "the pursuit of happiness"?
60-Second Civics: Episode 5172, Rights That Cannot Be Taken Away: We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident, Part 7 One key to understanding "inalienable" rights--as distinguished from ordinary, "alienable" rights--is found by turning to one of Thomas Jefferson's rough drafts of the Declaration of Independence. Listen to learn more about the foundations of your rights that cannot be taken away!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5171, Inalienable Rights: We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident, Part 6 The Declaration of Independence states that "all Men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights." But what does "unalienable Rights," or as it was intended "inalienable Rights" mean? Learn more in this episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5170, Stoicism, Christianity, and Moral Equality: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 19 On Friday, we discussed the origins of Americans' sense of political equality, but our founders also possessed a strong sense of moral equality. Indeed, the idea of the moral equality of human beings has ancient origins. Listen to today's episode for more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5169, All Men Are Created Equal: We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident, Part 4 The Declaration of Independence states that among the "truths" that Americans hold to be "self-evident" is that "all Men are created equal." But what was meant by this statement? Learn more today!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5168, The American Mind: We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident, Part 3 Thomas Jefferson said that his purpose in writing the Declaration of Independence was to express a shared understanding of the American mind. Learn more about this term and its significance today!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5167, Self-Evident Truths: We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident, Part 2 That "all Men are created equal" and "endowed by their Creator with Certain unalienable Rights" was self-evident to Americans at the time of the writing of the Declaration of Independence. Why was this? Learn more about the foundations of our self-evident truths.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5166, Independence Day: We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident, Part 1 Independence Day is a time to remember and appreciate our heritage of a democratic form of government and to reflect on our country's fundamental principles. Over the few episodes, 60-Second Civics will examine some of the fundamental ideas about government that are contained in the Declaration of Independence, which was issued on July 4, 1776.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5165, The Equal Rights Amendment: Women's Rights, Part 5 What is the Equal Rights Amendment and how would its ratification change American life? In this episode, Dr. Lisa Tetrault, associate professor of history at Carnegie Mellon University, explains the Equal Rights Amendment. This is the fifth episode in our 60-Second Civics series on women's rights as part of the Center for Civic Education's Civil Discourse: An American Legacy Project.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5164, The Abortion Debate and Fundamental Rights: Women's Rights, Part 4 How does abortion relate to fundamental rights as viewed by both sides of the abortion debate? Dr. Lisa Tetrault, associate professor of history at Carnegie Mellon University, explains how fundamental rights relate to the modern abortion debate. This is the fourth episode in our 60-Second Civics series on women's rights as part of the Center for Civic Education's Civil Discourse: An American Legacy Project.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5162, The Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments: Women's Rights, Part 2 What was the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and how does it relate to the Declaration of Independence? In this episode, Dr. Lisa Tetrault, associate professor of history at Carnegie Mellon University, explains the historical significance of the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5161, The Seneca Falls Convention: Women's Rights, Part 1 This is the first episode in our series on women's rights as part of our Civil Discourse and American Legacy Project. Dr. Lisa Tetrault, associate professor of history at Carnegie Mellon University, explains the significance of the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5160, Political Parties in the 1960s: The Evolution of Political Parties, Part 5 How did American political parties evolve in the 1960s? Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains how both the Democratic and Republican political parties evolved due to the social changes of the 1960s.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5159, Political Parties During the Civil War Era: The Evolution of Political Parties, Part 4 How did the modern two-party system begin to form? Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains the demise of the Whigs and the rise of today's dominant political parties in this episode of 60-Second Civics.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5158, Political Parties in Jacksonian Democracy: The Evolution of Political Parties, Part 3 What caused the rise of electioneering in the United States? Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains how the Federalist party split and examines the rise of Jacksonian democracy.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5157, The Evolution of Political Parties: The Evolution of Political Parties, Part 2 How did political parties come about in the early American republic? Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains how the Federalists and the Democratic Republicans came to be the first two political parties in the United States.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5156, The Functions of Political Parties: The Evolution of Political Parties, Part 1 What are the functions of political parties? Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains four functions of political parties in this episode of 60-Second Civics.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5155, Ratifying the Constitution: Principles of the Constitution, Part 5 What was the process of ratifying or rejecting the proposed plan of government after the 1787 convention? In this episode Dr. Lester Brooks, American history professor emeritus from Anne Arundel Community College, explains the process for ratifying the Constitution and the role played by the Federalists and Anti-Federalists.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5154, Forms of Government: Principles of the Constitution, Part 4 In this video, Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains how the Framers of the Constitution thought about fundamental principles embodied in the Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5153, Major Issues of the Philadelphia Convention, Representative Government: Principles of the Constitution, Part 3 In this episode, Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains a critical issue at the Philadelphia Convention: how the states would be represented in government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5152, Major Issues of the Philadelphia Convention, Separation of Power: Principles of the Constitution, Part 2 Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains how separation of powers was a major issue at the Philadelphia Convention, which drafted the new Constitution for the United States.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5151, The Need for a New Constitution: Principles of the Constitution, Part 1 Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, describes some of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and explains why the Framers intended to amend it.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5150, Promoting a Healthy Democracy: Building Your Skills as a Citizen, Part 5 Of all the duties of citizens, perhaps none is more important than doing your part to ensure the healthy functioning of American constitutional democracy. What can you do to support the survival of our constitutional democracy? Find out today!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5149, Effective Participation: Building Your Skills as a Citizen, Part 4 A fundamental aspect of citizenship is participating in the civic affairs of the community and the nation. However, participation alone is not enough. It's important to participate in an informed, thoughtful, and effective manner. How do you do this? Find out in this episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5148, Respecting Individual Worth and Human Dignity: Building Your Skills as a Citizen, Part 3 One key to fulfilling your responsibilities as an American citizen is to respect the value and human dignity of all people. This means treating other people with respect.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5147, Assuming the Responsibilities of a Citizen: Building Your Skills as a Citizen, Part 2 Being a citizen of the United States means fulfilling certain personal, political, and economic responsibilities. Learn what these include and how you can take on these responsibilities in this episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5146, Becoming an Independent Member of Society: Building Your Skills as a Citizen, Part 1 Today we launch a special series on the five civic dispositions of the National Assessment for Educational Progress Civics Framework. The first civic disposition stresses the importance of becoming an independent member of society. Listen for more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5145, Challenging the System: Active Citizenship, Part 5 The American system of government is built on popular sovereignty. However, there have been times in our nation's history when the government did not pursue the common good. Part of being an active citizen is knowing when and how to challenge the system. Here are some principles that can help you.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5144, Serving Your Country: Active Citizenship, Part 4 When you serve your country, you are promoting the common good; that is, the good of everyone in the United States. There are several ways to serve your country. Listen to learn a few!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5143, Political Participation: Active Citizenship, Part 3 Elections have consequences. If you want a say in the political future of our nation, it is up to you to get involved. Luckily, there are many ways to accomplish this. Listen to learn how!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5142, Being an Active Citizen: Active Citizenship, Part 2 Active citizenship means getting involved in the life of your community and nation so that you can help determine the country's future. But how do you do this? Find out more today!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5141, Being an Informed Citizen: Active Citizenship, Part 1 Most American citizens 18 years of age and older have the right to vote and choose our representatives who make our laws. But it is your obligation to cast an informed and responsible vote. Listen for more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5140, When Isn't a Warrant Warranted? The Right to Privacy, Part 12 During the 1960s the Supreme Court held that searches conducted without warrants are inherently unreasonable. By the 1970s the Court had recognized a number of exceptions to the warrant requirement. We cover a few examples of those exceptions in today's podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5139, Probable Cause: How Do Warrants Work? The Right to Privacy, Part 11 The Fourth Amendment protects people and their personal effects against unreasonable searches and seizures. It also requires applications for warrants to be supported by probable cause and requires a judge to decide whether probable cause exists. How do officials obtain warrants? We'll explain in today's episode.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5138, Unreasonable Searches and Seizures: The Right to Privacy, Part 10 The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution protects against unreasonable searches and seizures, but it seeks to strike a balance between the need for order and each individual's rights.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5137, Fourth Amendment and Technology: The Right to Privacy, Part 9 There have been vast technological changes since the ratification of the Fourth Amendment in 1791, and the courts have been asked to interpret the significance of ever-changing technology and surveillance techniques.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5135, The Fourth Amendment: The Right to Privacy, Part 7 The Fourth Amendment grew directly out of the American colonial experience. It protects against unreasonable searches and seizures by government officials.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5134, Protection Against Unreasonable Search and Seizure: The Right to Privacy, Part 6 The protection against unreasonable search and seizure was in part a reaction against the general warrants issued by the British that so enraged American colonists in the prelude to the Revolution. The Fourth Amendment and state constitutions protect against unreasonable searches and seizures.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5133, John Adams and James Otis: The Right to Privacy, Part 5 John Adams claimed that James Otis's speech against general warrants was the first act of colonial resistance to British policies. Despite his fame, Otis's career would be ended by a violent attack by a British customs official.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5132, James Otis Speaks Against General Warrants: The Right to Privacy, Part 4 General warrants were unpopular in the American colonies, where they were used to search for evidence of smuggling. In a five-hour speech in February 1761, James Otis spoke out against them, saying that they would "totally annihilate" the British common-law tradition that "A man's house is his castle."
60-Second Civics: Episode 5130, The Problem with General Warrants: The Right to Privacy, Part 2 General warrants allowed British officials to search people, businesses, homes, and property indiscriminately. British officials in the American colonies used such warrants to collect taxes, to recover stolen goods including -- enslaved people -- and to prosecute smugglers.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5129, Historical Origins of the Right to Privacy: The Right to Privacy, Part 1 Americans inherited from British history the principle that "a man's home is his castle." This idea can be traced to the opinion of Sir Edward Coke in Semayne's Case in 1604.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5128, "Our Country's Aim Will Remain True Towards Justice": Justice Paula Nakayama, Part 6 In light of the recent rise in violence toward Asian Americans, Justice Nakayama of the Hawai'i Supreme Court emphasizes that, "we must encourage everybody to learn, understand and deeply appreciate and embrace the rule of law in our country."
60-Second Civics: Episode 5127, What Does a Civic and Constitutional Education Mean to You?: Justice Paula Nakayama, Part 5 In today's podcast, we ask Justice Nakayama: What does a civic and constitutional education mean to you? And, why have you dedicated so many years to ensuring greater access to civics for more Americans?
60-Second Civics: Episode 5126, Learning About Your Role As an American: Justice Paula Nakayama, Part 4 A well-informed citizenry is the cornerstone of our democracy, which is why Justice Nakayama believes it's essential for all Americans to learn about their roles and responsibilities as citizens.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5125, Why Should Young People Consider Public Service?: Justice Paula Nakayama, Part 3 "When you are a public servant, it is important to realize that you are indeed serving the public. I think about that all the time, and I consider it a higher calling." In our episode, Justice Nakayama shares her perspective on the value of public service.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5124, One of the First Women on the Hawai'i Supreme Court: Justice Paula Nakayama, Part 2 Today, we ask Justice Nakayama: What is it like to be one of the first women to serve on the Hawai'i Supreme Court and one of the few Asian American women serving as a state supreme court justice? While Justice Nakayama shares times in which she faced discrimination, she nonetheless believes that "being on the Supreme Court is an honor and a privilege."
60-Second Civics: Episode 5123, How Did You Become a Justice on the Hawai'i Supreme Court?: Justice Paula Nakayama, Part 1 This episode is a rebroadcast from our interview series with then Associate Justice of the Hawai'i Supreme Court, Paula Nakayama. Justice Nakayama served on the Hawaii Supreme Court from 1993 until 2023. In our first episode, Justice Nakayama shares how a lot of hard work and a little luck helped her achieve one of the highest positions in the legal profession.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5122, Equality and the American Mind: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 20 Where did the idea of universal human equality, a common American idea, come from? Religious movements in colonial America helped spread the idea of universal moral human equality, including equality among social classes. Listen to today's podcast for more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5121, Stoicism, Christianity, and Moral Equality: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 19 In a recent episode, we discussed the origins of Americans' sense of political equality, but America's Founders also possessed a strong sense of moral equality. Indeed, the idea of the moral equality of human beings has ancient origins.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5120, Americans' Sense of Political Equality: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 18 The Declaration of Independence states that all men, meaning all people, are created equal. But where did this idea come from? Ideas of natural political equality were developed in seventeenth-century England and exported to its colonies across the North Atlantic. Learn more in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5119, "All Men Are Created Equal:" The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 17 The Declaration of Independence states that among the "truths" that Americans hold to be "self-evident" is that "all Men are created equal." But what did Thomas Jefferson mean by this statement?
60-Second Civics: Episode 5118, The American Creed: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 16 Thomas Jefferson said that his purpose in writing the Declaration of Independence was to express a shared understanding of "the American mind." Over the course of a few days in June 1776, Jefferson laid out the most fundamental principles and central political beliefs of the American Revolution and of the people the Revolution created.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5117, Why Americans Held These Truths to Be Self-evident: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Govt. in the Colonies, Part 15 Why did the writers of the Declaration of Independence "hold these Truths to be self-evident?" Among other things, these Americans were deeply influenced by the teachings of Christianity and English republicanism.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5116, The Meaning of Self-Evident Truths: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Govt. in the Colonies, Part 14 The second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence begins like this: "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." But what does "We hold these truths to be self-evident" mean? We explain more in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5179, Civil Rights Challenges Today: Civil Rights, Part 5 What is the most pressing challenge for civil rights today? In this episode of 60-Second Civics, Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains the challenges obstacles to full equality in the United States today.
60-Second Civics: Episode 4864, The Intolerable Acts: The Road to Independence, Part 12 Following the Boston Tea Party, the British government responded with what colonists called the Intolerable Acts, a series of Punitive Acts that, among other things, closed Boston Harbor to all trade.??Listen to today???s episode to learn more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5114, Elections in Colonial America: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government, Part 12 Elections in the colonial era and in the early American republic were rather uncivilized compared to today's standards. Explore the differences between then and now in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5113, Qualifying to Vote in Early America: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 11 In the American colonies, the right to vote followed the British model: only free adult males who owned a certain amount of property could vote, though there were limited exceptions to this rule. Listen to learn more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5112, Voting Rights in Colonial America: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 10 Voting rights in colonial America depended on the ownership of property. In other words, a person had to own a certain amount of land, livestock, or other property in order to qualify to vote. Listen to learn more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5111, Representative Democracy in Colonial America: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 9 Each of the thirteen American colonies had some features of representative democracy that we still see today. For example, each of the colonies had a legislative, executive, and judicial branch. Learn more with today???s episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5109, The Massachusetts Body of Liberties: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 7 Americans have had a tradition of written guarantees of rights since the time of the thirteen colonies. The Massachusetts Body of Liberties of 1641 provides a good example.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5108, Written Guarantees of Rights: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 6 Despite the presence of indentured servitude and slavery in colonial America, many Americans enjoyed written guarantees of their rights.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5107, Slavery in Colonial America: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 5 Slavery was present in the thirteen American colonies since at least the early 1600s. Until slavery was abolished in the mid-nineteenth century, almost 12 million Africans were transported against their will to America. Listen to today's podcast to learn more about the foundations of slavery in the US.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5106, Indentured Servitude in Colonial America: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 4 Land was plentiful in the thirteen American colonies, but labor was scarce. It was also expensive to sail from Britain to America. This reality created incentives for indentured servitude. Learn more about these colonists in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5105, The Southern Colonies: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 3 The mostly rural and agricultural southern colonies differed a great deal from both the New England and Middle Colonies. Learn how in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5104, The Middle Colonies: Basic Ideas of Rights & Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 2 America's Middle Colonies included today's states of Delaware, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The Middle Colonies different in important ways from the New England colonies. Learn about these key differences in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5103, The New England Colonies: Basic Ideas of Rights & Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 1 The American colonies can be divided into three regions: New England, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. At the time of American independence, in 1776, the New England colonies were Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Learn more about this group of colonies in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5102, Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin: Women's History Month, Part 21 Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin was a Native American activist, attorney, and advocate of women's right to vote.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5099, Susan B. Anthony: Women's History Month, Part 18 After her trial for having voted in an 1872 election, Susan B. Anthony explained to the judge the implications of her conviction: "My natural rights, my civil rights, my political rights, are all alike ignored. Robbed of the fundamental privilege of citizenship, I am degraded from the status of a citizen to that of a subject." Today, women in Rochester, New York, cover her grave with "I Voted" stickers.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5097, The Seneca Falls Convention: Women's History Month, Part 16 In 1848, about 300 activists met in Seneca Falls, New York, for the first convention in the United States devoted to women's rights. They discussed Elizabeth Cady Stanton's proposed Declaration of Sentiments, which mirrored the language of the Declaration of Independence.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5096, The Forten Sisters: Women's History Month, Part 15 Margaretta, Harriet, and Sarah Forten were three powerful African American campaigners for the abolition and women's rights movements. Harriet and Sarah married members of another prominent abolitionist family, the Purvises. Harriet and her husband Robert were involved in the Underground Railroad, and their home served as a refuge for people who had escaped slavery and as a meeting place for abolitionists.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5092, Fanny Wright: Women's History Month, Part 11 Fanny Wright was radical by the standards of her time. She was a writer and social activist who campaigned for equal rights for women, free and secular public education for both boys and girls, and the abolition of slavery, among other social and political issues. Wright was a fierce advocate of equality. She was friends with Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Lafayette, conversing with them about political philosophy, and she admired the American experiment with self-government.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5091, Mercy Otis Warren: Women's History Month, Part 10 Mercy Otis Warren was a playwright, poet, historian, and Anti-Federalist political commentator during the American Revolution. She was a talented writer, admired for her skill and her dedication to the principles of natural rights behind the Revolution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5090, Margaret Todd Whetten: Women's History Month, Part 9 Margaret Todd Whetten and her daughters provided food, clothing, and support to American prisoners in New York City, despite being called by one British jailer the "damndest rebels in New York." They provided a safe refuge for American spies in their home, saving them from capture and certain hanging. As as result, her house became known as the "rebel headquarters."
60-Second Civics: Episode 5089, Women During the Revolutionary War: Women's History Month, Part 8 Women served the American cause in many ways during the Revolutionary War, even as combatants.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5088, The Daughters of Liberty: Women's History Month, Part 7 At the start of the American Revolution, women patriots organized into a group known as the Daughters of Liberty. Like their male counterparts, the Sons of Liberty, women took action, such as boycotts, to protest British policies. For example, they replace imported British tea with "liberty tea," made from leaves, herbs, fruits, and flowers, like goldenrod. Without women's adherence to the boycotts, they would not have been effective.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5086, Nanye'hi: Women's History Month, Part 5 Despite being known as the "War Woman of Chota," Nanye'hi, also known as Nancy Ward, was a Cherokee woman who would work for much of her life to ensure peace between the Cherokees and the Americans, while attempting to prevent the further seizure of Cherokee land.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5085, Elizabeth Freeman: Women's History Month, Part 4 Elizabeth Freeman, also known as Mum Bett, escaped slavery in a way that was unusual: she took her case to court. She approached lawyer Theodore Sedgwick with this question: "I heard that paper read yesterday that says 'all men are born equal,' and that every man has a right to freedom ... won't the law give me my freedom?" Appealing to her natural rights and her rights under the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780, she sued for her freedom and won.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5084, Ona Judge: Women's History Month, Part 3 Ona Judge escaped George and Martha Washington's household, where she was an enslaved housemaid, and made her way to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where she eluded George Washington's determined attempts to capture her. She made a new life for herself in New Hampshire, marrying and having three children. Her side of her remarkable story survives because she gave interviews to at least two abolitionist newspapers.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5083, Coverture and the Colonial Era: Women's History Month, Part 2 A married woman living during the American colonial era would have lived under the legal doctrine called "coverture," where her legal identity was subsumed under that of her husband. William Blackstone wrote, "By marriage, the husband and wife are one person in the law: that is, the very being or legal existence of the woman is suspended during the marriage, or at least is incorporated and consolidated into that of the husband: under whose wing, protection, and cover, she performs every thing." This was governed by colonial law before independence and state law after independence. It would not change substantially after the Revolution in most states, but divorce and child custody laws would change.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5082, The Struggle for Equality: Women's History Month, Part 1 It's Women's History Month! All this month, 60-Second Civics will explain the struggle for equal rights for women and how our Constitution and laws evolved to make our nation a more representative democracy. In this episode, we briefly trace the struggle of women for equal voting rights in the United States.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5081, Important Figures in the Civil Rights Movement: Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris, Part 6 Throughout her life, Dr. Ross-Norris has interacted with several prominent civil rights leaders, including Dr. Dorothy Height and Rev. Fauntroy. Learn more how these figures inspired the next generation of civil rights leaders in today's episode.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5080, Maya Angelou & Her Role as a Citizen: Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris, Part 5 Maya Angelou, an African American poet and civil rights activist, used her artistic abilities to communicate the Black experience and serve as an instrument for others to understand African American culture. Listen as Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris recounts her interactions with Maya Angelou in today's episode!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5079, Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris, Part 4 Today, we ask our guest, Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris, why historically black colleges and universities are important. In the episode, she shares her experience as a Howard University alumna and how attending an HBCU was significant to her as an African American.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5078, The Tuskegee Airmen: Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris, Part 3 In today's episode, Dr. Ross-Norris talks about the Tuskegee Airmen, a group her father belonged to and who taught her important lessons about civics and being an American.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5077, Learning About the African American Experience: Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris, Part 2 In February, we celebrate Black History Month. Today we ask Dr. Ross-Norris: Why should all Americans learn about the African American experience? Listen to learn why!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5075, A Just and a Lasting Peace By the time of Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, the Civil War was winding down. Learn more about his hopes for a just and a lasting peace after the war on today's 60-Second Civics podcast.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5074, Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, given on November 19, 1863, recognized the central importance of founding-era principles to the meaning and destiny of America. Learn more about this famous address in today???s episode of 60-Second Civics.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5073, Abraham Lincoln and America's Founding Principles Abraham Lincoln tried to revive and renew political principles that defined America at its birth in 1776 throughout his political career. Listen to learn more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5071, The Emancipation Proclamation On September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln publicly announced his Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. It warned the Confederate rebels that unless they rejoined the Union, a final proclamation would free all slaves within the seceded states. Listen to learn more!
60-Second Civics: Episode 5070, Abraham Lincoln on Slavery After winning the 1860 presidential election, Lincoln repeated his long-held opposition to slavery. However, he insisted that the federal government would not take action against slavery in the states where it existed.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5068, Suspending the Writ of Habeas Corpus During the Civil War Chief Justice Roger B. Taney rules against Abraham Lincoln's aggressive use of war powers.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5067, The Prize Cases The Prize Cases posed a constitutional test of Abraham Lincoln's use of war powers during an emergency.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5066, Congress Approves Lincoln's Actions Critics accused Abraham Lincoln of trampling on the Constitution, but he thought his actions were needed to save both the Union and the Constitution.
60-Second Civics: Episode 5065, Lincoln Takes Immediate Action Against the Confederacy When fighting began between Confederate and Union forces in April of 1861, Abraham Lincoln acted decisively, but some questioned whether his actions were constitutional. Learn more about Lincoln???s reaction to secession and the constitutional debate in this episode of the 60-Second Civics daily podcast.
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This site is brought to you by the Center for Civic Education. The Center's mission is to promote an enlightened and responsible citizenry committed to democratic principles and actively engaged in the practice of democracy. The Center has reached more than 30 million students and their teachers since 1965. Learn more.
