60-Second Civics Podcast
972 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago - ★★★★ - 76 ratings60-Second Civics is a daily podcast that provides a quick and convenient way for listeners to learn about our nation's government, the Constitution, and our history. The podcast explores themes related to civics and government, the constitutional issues behind the headlines, and the people and ideas that formed our nation's history and government.
60-Second Civics is produced by the Center for Civic Education. The show's content is primarily derived from the Center's education for democracy curricula, including We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution, Project Citizen, Foundations of Democracy, and Elements of Democracy.
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Episodes
60-Second Civics: Episode 4538, African Americans in the American Revolution: Black History Month, Part 7
February 07, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteEnslaved African Americans faced difficult choices at the start of the Revolutionary War. The British royal governor of Virginia promised them freedom, and many joined the Loyalist cause. Up to 100,000 others fled across British lines. And yet about 5,000 served as soldiers in the Continental Army, serving valiantly. We'll learn some of their stories on today's podcast. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4537, Phillis Wheatley Peters: Black History Month, Part 6
February 06, 2022 08:00 - 1 minutePhillis Wheatley Peters was the first African American to publish a volume of poetry. She was born around 1753 and taken to the American colonies as a slave, but learned how to read and write, publishing her first poem at the age of thirteen. Her fame became international when her poems were published in London. She is remembered not only for her poetry, but also for inspiring abolitionists in America and Europe. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4536, The Declaration of Independence and Slavery: Black History Month, Part 5
February 05, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteThe Declaration of Independence asserted that "all Men are created equal" and yet enslaved African Americans had been systematically deprived of their rights since at least 1619. Today we learn about the passages condemning slavery that were deleted from the Declaration of Independence. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4535, The Economics of Slavery: Black History Month, Part 4
February 04, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteThe South became increasingly dependent on the labor of enslaved African Americans, especially after the invention of the cotton gin in 1793. Cotton was a main cash crop. This dependence on forced labor led to the refusal of the South to abolish slavery. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4534, Languages and Cultures of Enslaved Africans in America: Black History Month, Part 3
February 03, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteWhen enslaved Africans were forcibly brought to America, their names were changed by slaveholders and they were often forbidden to speak their native languages. Nevertheless, these rich cultures were never entirely suppressed, and their influence can be seen in the United States today. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4533, Introduction of Slavery to America: Black History Month, Part 2
February 02, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteMore than 10 million enslaved Africans would be forcibly transported to the New Word, and at least 250,000 would be taken to the United States. Slavery would not be confined to the South. Slavery was eventually practiced in every American colony. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4532, All Men Are Created Equal: Black History Month, Part 1
February 01, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteDespite the assurance of the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal" the Declaration did not recognize the freedom of enslaved people. And although the Constitution did not mention the word "slavery," it contained provisions that ensured its survival. Nevertheless, the story of the more than 400 years since slavery was first introduced into the thirteen colonies is one of expanding rights and greater equality for all Americans. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4531, Human Equality and Government by Consent: The Road to Independence, Part 19
January 31, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteThe Declaration of Independence made arguments based on human equality and government by consent, among other things. Listen to learn more about these important concepts! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4530, Ideas in the Declaration of Independence: The Road to Independence, Part 18
January 28, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteThe Declaration of Independence contains ideas and arguments for independence that can be divided into several categories: natural rights, human equality, government by consent, the "long train of abuses" by King George III, and finally, the right to revolution. Listen for more! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4529, The Declaration of Independence: The Road to Independence, Part 17
January 27, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteThe Declaration of Independence announced the final, momentous step in the colonists' resistance to the British government by rejecting the sovereignty, or authority, of the Crown. Learn more about this declaration in today's episode! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4528, The Revolution Begins: The Road to Independence, Part 16
January 26, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteThe battles of Lexington and Concord began the war between America and Britain. In August 1775 Britain declared the colonies to be in a state of rebellion. Within a year, the Americans would officially declare their independence. Listen to learn more about this evolution! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4527, Concord Hymn: The Road to Independence, Part 15
January 25, 2022 08:00 - 1 minute"The shot heard 'round the world" is a line in the poem Concord Hymn describing the effect of the outbreak of the American Revolution in April 1775. Learn more in today's podcast! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4526, Lexington and Concord: The Road to Independence, Part 14
January 24, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteBy 1774 many of the more radical colonists were beginning to prepare for war against Great Britain. These colonists formed civilian militias. On April 19, 1775, some 700 British troops tried to march to Concord, Massachusetts. Listen for more! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4525, First Continental Congress: The Road to Independence, Part 13
January 21, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteColonists formed committees of correspondence to publicize colonial opposition and coordinate resistance. In 1774 colonies sent representatives to Philadelphia to discuss potential responses to the British government. The meeting was called the First Continental Congress. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4524, The Intolerable Acts: The Road to Independence, Part 12
January 20, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteFollowing 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! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4523, John Adams and the Boston Massacre: The Road to Independence, Part 11
January 19, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteControversial at the time, lawyer and later president John Adams defended the British soldiers and their captain following the Boston Massacre. Learn more about his motivation for doing this in today's episode! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4523, John Adams and the Boston Massacre: The Road to Independence, Part 10
January 19, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteControversial at the time, lawyer and later president John Adams defended the British soldiers and their captain following the Boston Massacre. Learn more about his motivation for doing this in today's episode! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4522, The Boston Massacre: The Road to Independence, Part 10
January 18, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteOn the night of March 5, 1770, a riot broke out and shots were fired in what would later be known as the ???Boston Massacre.??? Learn more about this important event in today???s episode! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4522, The Boston Massacre: The Road to Independence, Part 9
January 18, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteOn the night of March 5, 1770, a riot broke out and shots were fired in what would later be known as the ?Boston Massacre.? Learn more about this important event in today?s episode! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4521, Daughters of Liberty: The Road to Independence, Part 8
January 17, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteAfter repealing the hated Stamp Act in 1766, the British Parliament passed the Declaratory Act, asserting Great Britain's full power and authority over the American colonies. In response a group of American women calling themselves the Daughters of Liberty led boycotts of English goods. Listen for more! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4521, Daughters of Liberty: The Road to Independence, Part 9
January 17, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteAfter repealing the hated Stamp Act in 1766, the British Parliament passed the Declaratory Act, asserting Great Britain's full power and authority over the American colonies. In response a group of American women calling themselves the Daughters of Liberty led boycotts of English goods. Listen for more! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4519, The Stamp Act Congress: The Road to Independence, Part 7
January 13, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteThe Stamp Act Congress was held in October 1765 in New York to coordinate colonial resistance to the unpopular Stamp Act, which required nearly every important document printed in the colonies to be taxed. Hear more about this significant occurrence in today's episode! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4518, The Sons of Liberty: The Road to Independence, Part 6
January 12, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteOpposition to the Stamp Act prompted American colonists to organize. The Sons of Liberty was one group created to resist the Stamp Act inspired by the words of Isaac Barre. Learn more about this group in today's episode! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4515, The Sugar Act: The Road to Independence, Part 3
January 07, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteThe American colonists were already unhappy with the British about the Proclamation of 1763. But then they took another step that angered Americans. In 1764, Parliament passed the Sugar Act. Learn more in today's episode! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4514, The Proclamation of 1763: The Road to Independence, Part 2
January 06, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteBritain increased its control over the American colonies after 1763 following its victory over the French in the Seven Years' War, including with acts such as the Proclamation of 1763. Learn more about the implications of this in today's episode! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4513, Salutary Neglect: The Road to Independence, Part 1
January 05, 2022 08:00 - 1 minuteFor more than 150 years before 1776, the American colonists had grown used to little direct interference by Parliament in colonial affairs. This policy was known as "salutary neglect," but changes to this policy would initiate the focus of our new series: The Road to Independence! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4509, "All Men Are Created Equal:" The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 17
December 30, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteThe 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? Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4508, The American Creed: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 16
December 29, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteThomas 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. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4504, Qualifying to Vote in Early America: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 11
December 23, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteIn 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! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4503, Qualifying to Vote in Early America: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 11
December 22, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteIn 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! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4502, Voting Rights in Colonial America: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 10
December 21, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteVoting 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! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4501, Representative Democracy in Colonial America: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 9
December 20, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteEach 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! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4500, The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 8
December 17, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteThe Fundamental Orders of Connecticut is an important American founding document. The Connecticut Colony has its origins in 1636, when Thomas Hooker led a group of dissenting Puritans from Massachusetts to the Connecticut Valley. Learn why this document was so revolutionary in today's episode! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4497, Slavery in Colonial America: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 5
December 14, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteSlavery 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. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4496, Indentured Servitude in Colonial America: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 4
December 13, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteLand 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! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4495, The Southern Colonies: The Basic Ideas of Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 3
December 10, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteThe mostly rural and agricultural southern colonies differed a great deal from both the New England and Middle Colonies. Learn how in today's episode! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4493, The New England Colonies: Basic Ideas of Rights & Constitutional Government in the Colonies, Part 1
December 08, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteThe 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! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4492, The Mayflower Compact: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 67
December 07, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteThe Mayflower Compact is seen as an example of the social contract theory, which meant that the colonists consented to be governed under mutually agreed-upon laws for the general good of the Colony. Listen to today's episode to learn more about this famous agreement! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4491, The Voyage of the Mayflower: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 66
December 06, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteIn 1620, a ship called the Mayflower embarked on a long and perilous journey from Plymouth, England, to the New World. Learn more about this famous voyage in today's podcast! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4490, The Jamestown Colony: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 65
December 03, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteThe Jamestown colony is one of the most famous British colonies in the New World. Learn about the origins and outcomes for this colony is today’s episode! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4489, The Race to Colonize North America: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 64
December 02, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteIn the early seventeenth century, Britain sought to compete with Spain, France, and the Netherlands, which had already established colonies in the New World. Listen to today’s podcast to learn more about this struggle between global powers! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4488, Early English Settlements: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 63
December 01, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteIn the early 1600s, competition to settle North America was heating up between the major European powers. Spain, France, and The Netherlands each claimed territory in what would eventually become the United States. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4486, The British Constitution: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 61
November 29, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteUnlike the American Constitution, the British constitution is not entirely written down. Instead, the British constitution is composed of common law, acts of Parliament, court decisions, and long-established practices and traditions. Listen to today's podcast for more! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4485, The Model Parliament of Edward I: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 60
November 26, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteThe word Parliament comes from the French word parler, or to speak. This points to the origins of the British Parliament as a body that would advise the king, and later approve his proposals. Listen to today's podcast for more! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4483, King Henry III and the Rise of Parliament: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 58
November 24, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteDuring the Reign of Henry III, Parliament grew in power. Learn more about this important period for the growth of legislative bodies in today's episode! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4482, The Significance of the Magna Carta: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 57
November 23, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteMagna Carta means "Great Charter," and it contained significant limits, at least in theory, on the power of the king. Listen to today's podcast to learn more about this document, which was highly influential on the American colonists and British law! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4481, King John Agrees to the Magna Carta: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 56
November 22, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteThe Magna Carta is a charter of rights that eventually came to be recognized as a foundation of English statutory law. Learn more about the history behind this historic document in today’s episode! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4480, The Charter of Liberties: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 55
November 19, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteAn important event in the establishment of limited government occurred in the year 1100 when the Charter of Liberties was issued. Listen to today???s episode to learn more! Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4479, Origins of the House of Commons: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 54
November 18, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteThe 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. Center for Civic Education
60-Second Civics: Episode 4478, The Witan: Ideas that Informed the American Founders, Part 53
November 17, 2021 08:00 - 1 minuteBefore the Norman invasion of England in 1066, the Anglo-Saxon kings called together a group of advisors called a Witan. Learn more today! Center for Civic Education