Civics In A Year

Mary Todd Lincoln Unmasked

Mary Todd Lincoln gets talked about like a stereotype: the spender, the problem, the punchline. That story falls apart the moment you place her where she actually lived, in a White House worn down by constant crowds and a nation tearing itself apart in the Civil War. We sit down with Vicky Middleswarth, Education Coordinator at the Mary Todd Lincoln House, to look at what Mary did, why she did it, and why so many people were determined to read her choices as personal failures instead of the messy reality of being First Lady during America’s greatest crisis. We dig into the controversies that followed her from the start: the White House renovation that ran over budget, the new wallpaper, carpets, and china, and the fierce backlash to entertaining while soldiers were fighting and dying. You’ll hear how hosting was not “extra” in the 1860s, but part of the job, and how Mary’s efforts to project dignity and sophistication became a political liability. The episode also explores her civic participation and political involvement before women’s suffrage, from advising and letter writing to fundraising at sanitary fairs and quietly visiting Union Army hospitals with fruit, flowers, and conversation. Then we zoom out and ask a harder question: how did Americans learn to “know” Mary Todd Lincoln in the first place? We unpack how diaries, letters, memoirs, and interviews, many written by men with their own agendas, shaped a lasting public image, and why modern historians keep revisiting her story. Finally, we talk about what visitors experience at the Mary Todd Lincoln House, including a mourning bonnet that captures her resilience and an interactive unit that examines the infamous 1875 insanity trial from multiple perspectives. If you care about women’s history, Civil War history, the First Lady role, or how bias gets baked into the historical record, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves American history, and leave a review with your take: what’s the fairest way to judge Mary Todd Lincoln? Check Out the Civic Literacy Curriculum [https://civics.asu.edu/civic-literacy-curriculum]! School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership [https://scetl.asu.edu/] Center for American Civics [https://civics.asu.edu/]

How Lorraine Waxman Pearce Turned The White House Into A Museum

The White House looks permanent on TV, but its history has to be protected one object at a time. We’re joined by Leslie Calderone, Director of the White House History Digital Archives at the White House Historical Association, to introduce a name most Americans have never heard: Lorraine Waxman Pearce , the first curator of the White House. We go back to the moment that quietly set everything in motion: Jacqueline Kennedy’s 1941 White House tour, when the rooms felt sparse on historic furnishings and short on context. From there, we trace how decades of informal practices left artifacts vulnerable to replacement, neglect, and even theft, and why the early 1960s became a true turning point. With the Fine Arts Committee in place, TV bringing the White House into living rooms nationwide, and donations pouring in, Pearce  arrives in March 1961 with professional museum training and steps into what she calls “a room full of mail.” From cataloging and collections management to authentication and museum climate standards, we unpack how her work created the foundation for modern White House preservation while navigating real pressure, tight timelines, and public scrutiny. You’ll hear why preservation is civic education, how the Kennedy Restoration inspires similar efforts across the country, and what visitors can still see today thanks to Pearce , including the Van Buren bust in the Red Room and the State Dining Room mantle beneath Lincoln’s portrait. If you love American history, museums, archives, or the hidden jobs that keep democracy’s symbols intact, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share the episode with a history-loving friend, and leave a review with the White House object you’d most want to preserve. Check out the digital archives here!  [https://www.whitehousehistory.org/digital-archives/projects/the-lorraine-waxman-pearce-collection] Check Out the Civic Literacy Curriculum [https://civics.asu.edu/civic-literacy-curriculum]! School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership [https://scetl.asu.edu/] Center for American Civics [https://civics.asu.edu/]

How The U.S. Capitol Historical Society Keeps Democracy Real

The U.S. Capitol is one of the most recognizable buildings in the world, but many Americans don’t realize there’s an organization dedicated to preserving its story and turning that history into practical civic education. We sit down with Roswell Encina, president and CEO of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society, to talk about what it really means to “own” the people’s house and why the Capitol’s history includes far more than lawmakers, from preservation teams and librarians to the Capitol Police and everyone who keeps democracy functioning day to day.  We get into the moments that make visitors stop and stare, like stepping into the Rotunda or Statuary Hall, and we share a few surprising Capitol facts you can’t unsee once you know them. One of our favorites is the star inside the Capitol that helps define Washington, DC’s quadrant grid and the symbolism behind the Capitol's location on a hill. We also talk about the building’s deeper legal history, including the era when the Supreme Court met inside the Capitol and why places tied to cases like Amistad still give people goosebumps.  From there, the conversation shifts to teaching civics in a way that sticks. Roswell tells a story about following a group of Title I eighth graders through the Capitol and realizing just how hungry students are for real, place-based learning when they’re invited to ask honest questions. We also break down teacher professional development and classroom resources, including workshops centered on the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as well as guidance on how educators can use digitized primary sources from the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and presidential libraries from anywhere in the country. If you care about civic engagement, history, and practical civics education, subscribe, share this with a teacher or student in your life, and leave a review with the biggest question you want civics class to answer. Check out Civic Learning Resources for Teachers! [https://capitolhistory.org/us-capitol-history-for-teachers/educational-programs/] Check Out the Civic Literacy Curriculum [https://civics.asu.edu/civic-literacy-curriculum]! School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership [https://scetl.asu.edu/] Center for American Civics [https://civics.asu.edu/]

Elizabeth Willing Powel

A woman in Philadelphia tells George Washington, plainly, that the country needs him to serve again and she does not write for personal gain. That single moment opens a much bigger story about how influence works when you cannot vote, cannot hold office, and still refuse to stay silent.  We sit down with Samantha Snyder from the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon to talk about Elizabeth Willing Powel, the subject of Samantha’s forthcoming full-scale biography (University of Virginia Press, March 2027). Powel is not a formal political leader, but she is deeply connected to the people who are. Through letters, conversation, and a keen “talent for suggesting,” she helps shape the founding era from a different stage: salons, homes, and relationships that quietly steer big decisions.  We also dig into the sources that make Powel come alive. Beyond correspondence with George and Martha Washington, Samantha finds meaning in ledgers, receipts, and account books that show Powel managing wealth, property, investments, and civic improvement projects after becoming a widow. Those details expand our understanding of early American civic life, women’s political influence, and the networks surrounding the founders.  If you’ve ever felt like you need a title, a platform, or “top billing” to matter, Powel’s life argues the opposite. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves history, and leave a review with one overlooked historical figure you think we should talk about next. Check Out the Civic Literacy Curriculum [https://civics.asu.edu/civic-literacy-curriculum]! School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership [https://scetl.asu.edu/] Center for American Civics [https://civics.asu.edu/]

Social Media And Modern Elections

A single TikTok can redefine a candidate faster than a week of traditional ads, and that reality is changing American elections in real time. We sit down with educator Spencer Burrows to trace how campaign communication evolved from “earned media” moments to Facebook fundraising, Twitter as a direct line to voters, and now podcasts and short-form video that reach people who don’t even think of themselves as political. Along the way, we ask what this means for Gen Z voters, whose political information often shows up as quick clips, creator commentary, and algorithmic recommendations.  We also get honest about the darker incentive structure baked into platform design. When engagement rewards outrage, candidates and even members of Congress can feel pushed to grandstand and chase viral moments instead of doing the slow work of negotiation and compromise. We talk about how rage bait spreads, why attention gets fragmented, and how a “big” viral controversy can distract from the issues that actually shape people’s lives at the local, state, and federal level.  Then we pivot to solutions that educators, students, and everyday voters can use right now: go to the source, compare multiple perspectives, and learn to frame better questions before reacting. We also look ahead to AI and deepfakes, why they’re so concerning, and why a healthy skepticism is quickly becoming a core civic skill. If you care about media literacy, civic education, and the future of democratic participation, listen, share this with a friend, and leave us a review so more people can find the show. Check Out the Civic Literacy Curriculum [https://civics.asu.edu/civic-literacy-curriculum]! School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership [https://scetl.asu.edu/] Center for American Civics [https://civics.asu.edu/]