Week Six in 250 to 250

This was the sixth week of videos from the 250 to 250 Project that we’re producing to honor the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

We designed the videos to emphasize the agency of Americans—mostly everyday Americans—to change the country. Each falls into a category that defines what it means to be an American, including community, democracy, innovation, mobility, civil rights, education, conservation, and creativity.

Yesterday marked the date the Second Continental Congress adopted the final wording of the Declaration, but the members didn’t actually sign the Declaration until August 2. We thought it would be fun to continue the videos throughout July and into August, launching the nation’s 251st year with some historical inspiration. So there’s more coming.

You can follow the project at the sites listed below, or under “videos” at my own YouTube page: Heather Cox Richardson. Or just wait until I send out the week’s roundup.

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Gettysburg Address, Narrated by Governor JB Pritzker

Governor JB Pritzker is the 43rd governor of Illinois. Here, he revisits the Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln’s three-minute speech that rededicated the nation to the principle that all men are created equal.

“The Star-Spangled Banner,” Narrated by Sarah Longwell

Sarah Longwell is publisher of The Bulwark, host of The Focus Group podcast, and bestselling author of “How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time,” coming this fall. Longwell tells us how the British bombardment of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry in 1814 inspired our national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Billie Jean King, Narrated by Rosie Casals

Rosie Casals is the winner of 12 Grand Slam Doubles titles and is one of only three players—alongside Billie Jean King and Nancy Richey—inducted into the Hall of Fame twice. She helped establish the WTA in 1973 and is a founding member of the Original 9 that started women's professional tennis. Casals details how tennis legend Billie Jean King has used her platform to push for gender equality and social change.

John Adams’ Letters to Abigail, Narrated by Sara Georgini

Dr. Sara Georgini is an American historian, author, and Series Editor for the “Papers of John Adams,” at the Adams Papers Editorial Project at the Massachusetts Historical Society. Georgini shares how John Adams, writing to his wife Abigail in 1776, envisioned generations of Americans celebrating independence with pomp and parade—right about everything but the date.

You can see the Adams’s revolutionary words on display right now in the “1776 Declaring Independence” exhibit, open and free at the Massachusetts Historical Society. Learn more here.

Mister Rogers, Narrated by Governor Josh Shapiro

Governor Josh Shapiro is the 48th Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the home state to one of America’s most beloved neighbors, Fred Rogers. As a kid, Governor Shapiro grew up watching “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Now as Governor, he uses those guiding principles of universal kindness to serve his neighbors across Pennsylvania.

Three Flags Day, Narrated by Claire Conner McCaskill

Claire Conner McCaskill is a former attorney, political analyst for MS NOW and NBC News, and the first female U.S. senator from Missouri. McCaskill recounts the “Three Flags Day” of 1804, when St. Louis passed from Spain to France to the United States in a single day.

Civil War Income Taxes, Narrated by Danny Werfel

Danny Werfel served as 50th Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and is currently an Executive in Residence at the Johns Hopkins University School of Government and Policy. Werfel details how the Civil War spurred congressional Republicans to invent the income tax.

Thurgood Marshall, Narrated by Governor Wes Moore

Governor Wes Moore is a combat veteran, bestselling author, former nonprofit CEO, and is Maryland’s first Black governor and the third black Governor elected in American history. Moore celebrates Thurgood Marshall, the legendary civil rights lawyer who prevailed in the Brown v. Board of Education decision and became the first Black Supreme Court Justice.

All in the Family, Narrated by Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is an award-winning actress, comedian, producer, and podcast host whose early work on shows like Family Ties helped launch her storied career, including beloved roles in Seinfeld and Veep. Julia revisits All in the Family, the groundbreaking 1971 sitcom that used Archie Bunker and his family to tackle the era's most divisive issues.

16th Street Baptist Church Bombing, Narrated by Senator Doug Jones

Doug Jones is a prominent attorney and public servant who became the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Alabama in 25 years and is currently the state’s Democratic nominee for Governor. Jones, who prosecuted the case decades later, remembers the four young girls killed in the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, a tragedy that galvanized support for the Civil Rights Act.

Madam C.J. Walker, Narrated by A’Lelia Bundles

A’Lelia Bundles is an award-winning journalist, Emmy-winning producer, and author of acclaimed biographies telling the stories of the civic-minded business women in her family, including her great-great-grandmother Madam C. J. Walker.

NATO, Narrated by Adam Kinzinger

Adam Kinzinger is a retired military officer, former U.S. Representative, and current political commentator known for his views on the evolving Republican Party and serving as one of two Republicans appointed to the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol. Kinzinger explains the formation of NATO, the defensive security alliance that has helped to keep the world safe since 1949.

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