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Our Bell Ringers are designed to enhance social studies curriculums using C-SPAN programming. Each Bell Ringer features a short video clip along with a brief summary, key vocabulary terms, and related discussion questions. Use these resources with your students to introduce a topic, as a classroom activity, or as a homework assignment.
New Bell Ringers
- Abolitionist and Women’s Rights Activist Abby Kelley Foster (05:07)
Lynne Lydick talked about abolitionist and women’s rights activist Abby Kelley Foster.
- Abolitionist John Brown’s 1859 Harpers Ferry Raid (08:14)
Author and Historian Dennis Frye talks about abolitionist John Brown’s 1859 raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry.
- Abolitionist John Brown’s Trial (05:18)
Author and Historian Dennis Frye talks about the trial of John Brown after his arrest at Harper’s Ferry.
- Accomplishments of Alexander Hamilton (02:41)
Ron Chernow talks about some of the contributions that Alexander Hamilton made to the country.
- Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and the Duel that Stunned the Nation (09:09)
John Sedgwick talks about the rivalry between Alexander Hamilton and Vice President Aaron Burr, which resulted in a duel that claimed Hamilton’s life. He also discusses the two scenarios describing the duel.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidency and the Cold War (08:54)
Professor Jeremy Black discussed Dwight Eisenhower’s rise to the presidency as a former General and the circumstances in the Cold War 1950s that led to his election
- French Influence on 1790s Philadelphia (13:16)
Professor Francois Furstenberg talked about five aristocrats who fled the French Revolution in the early 1790s and settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He spoke about French influence on the then American capital and the relationships these men formed with political figures of the early Republic.
- History of the Democratic Process (07:40)
Akhil Reed Amar and Richard Pildes talked about the evolution of the democratic process, the reasons for the creation of the Electoral College, and the establishment of a bipartisan system and political parties in the United States.
- History of the Presidential Primary System (07:08)
Akhil Reed Amar and Richard Pildes talked about the history of presidential primaries in the U.S. election process.
- History of the Smiley Face Symbol (03:44)
Charles Ball talked about the history of the Smiley Face symbol. In 1963, the original version of the Smiley Face symbol was created in Worcester, Massachusetts, by Charles Ball’s father, graphic artist Harvey Ross Ball.
- Marquis de Lafayette (05:29)
Daughters of the American Revolution Museum Curator Heidi Campbell-Shoaf discusses Marquis de Lafayette, a French aristocrat and military officer who fought for America in the Revolutionary War, and his return visit to America during the 1820’s.
- Moundville Archaeological Park (07:26)
Betsy Irwin talked about the Moundville Archaeological Park, one of the largest Middle Mississippian culture sites in America. She explained the origins and significance of the mounds and how clans of Native American tribes lived at this site from about 1000-1450 A.D.
- National Historic Preservation Act (06:57)
Professor Max Page talked about the origins of the National Historic Preservation Act and the future of historic preservation in America.
- Senate Role in Judicial Nominations (06:22)
Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, talked about the role of the Senate in Supreme Court nominations.
- Status of the Middle Class (09:00)
Jim Tankersley and Erin Currier talked about data on the fiscal health of those who consider themselves part of the middle class. Topics discussed included salaries, job security, economic mobility, and savings.
- The Presidency and the Constitution (05:26)
Former Vice President Dick Cheney, former Attorney General Edwin Meese, and law professor Douglas Kmiec talked about the office of the president, the balance of power, and the Constitution.
- United Farm Workers Co-Founder Dolores Huerta (08:54)
Taina Caragol gave a tour of “One Life: Dolores Huerta,” an exhibit about civil rights activist Dolores Huerta at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. She spoke about Ms. Huerta’s life and her involvement in the farm workers movement and the Delano Grape Strike in the 1960s.
- Worcester Revolution of 1774 and the American Revolution (08:49)
Jim Moran talked about the Worcester Revolution of 1774, in which more than 4,000 militiamen from Worcester County, Massachusetts, gathered on Main Street to force the British magistrates out of the county government. He spoke about the Massachusetts Government Act, the role played by General Thomas Gage, and why the revolution was considered one of the first non-violent acts of the American Revolution.
On Saturday Dan Larsen and Andrew Conneen from Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois joined us for our annual program to help A.P. Government and Politics students around the country prepare for their upcoming exam on Tuesday, May 10.
Dan and Andrew discussed the exam, previewed sample questions, and made suggestions as to what students should be studying.
Cram for the Exam programs are available here:
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