Shows / Sandra Day O'Connor Institute
Sandra Day O'Connor Institute
This is the official podcast of the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute. Our mission is to continue the distinguished legacy and lifetime work of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor to advance American democracy through multigenerational civics education, civil discourse and civic engagement.
Episodes
- Sandra Day O'Connor Institute
Issues & Answers | How America Runs Its Elections
On Tuesday, November 3, Americans vote in the midterm elections. Before the results come in, two of the country's most experienced election lawyers, one a…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | The Erie Canal: The Ditch That Built a National Economy
Critics mocked it as Clinton’s Ditch. In 1825, the 363-mile Erie Canal linked Lake Erie to the Hudson River, cut shipping costs by about 90 percent, made New…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | The First Transcontinental Telegram: Wiring a Continent in Wartime
On October 24, 1861, crews joined telegraph wires at Salt Lake City, linking the coasts. California’s first message pledged its loyalty to Lincoln, and two…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | The Haudenosaunee Confederacy: The Great Law of Peace and a Treaty That Endures
Long before the Constitution, five nations united under the Great Law of Peace. We explore how the Haudenosaunee Confederacy governs through clans and council…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Black Hawk: The Treaty He Never Accepted and the War of 1832
In 1804, five men signed a treaty the U.S. said ceded Saukenuk, the Sauk village Black Hawk called home. He never accepted that. We follow his return to…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa: Two Brothers, One Movement, Many Nations
In 1805 a Shawnee man had visions and became Tenskwatawa, the Prophet. With his brother Tecumseh, he built Prophetstown and a movement uniting many nations to…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Chief John Ross: A Nation’s Fight to Keep Its Word and Its Land
John Ross led the Cherokee Nation for nearly four decades through petitions, Supreme Court cases, a treaty his council rejected, and forced removal. We explore…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | The Trail of Tears: Cherokee Removal and the Long Road to Rebuilding
The Trail of Tears was never one road. In 1838 and 1839, seventeen detachments of Cherokee people were forced west by land and river. We trace the roundup, the…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Harriette J. Cooke: Equal Rank, Equal Pay, and the Question of "First"
In 1871, an Iowa college made Harriette J. Cooke a full professor and reportedly paid her the same as the men. Was it the nation's first? We weigh the…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Sequoyah: The Syllabary That Gave a Nation Its Written Voice
Sequoyah never learned to read English, yet he gave the Cherokee language a written form. We trace his 85-character syllabary from his daughter's demonstration…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Laura Ingalls Wilder: Memory Meets the Federal Record
Behind the Little House novels lies a federal paper trail: land claims, sworn testimony, survey lines, railroad jobs, and treaties. We follow the Ingalls…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | The Homestead Act of 1862: 160 Acres, Five Years, and a Contested West
In 1862, Lincoln signed a law offering 160 acres to settlers who could live on it, farm it, and prove it up. We explore who could claim a homestead, what it…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | The Kansas-Nebraska Act: How Organizing the West Divided the Nation
Stephen Douglas wanted a railroad west. To get it, he let Kansas and Nebraska settlers vote on slavery, and the country cracked open: ballot fraud, a sacked…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Andrew Jackson: Frontier Orphan to President
Orphaned by war, forged on the battlefield, and elected on a cry against elite corruption — Andrew Jackson reshaped the presidency itself. War hero, populist…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | The Indian Removal Act: From Treaty Table to Trail of Tears
A brief 1830 law authorized land "exchanges" with Native nations — nothing in its text ordered a forced march. What followed was a decade of treaties, fraud…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | From Republic to State: Texas's Long Road to Annexation
For nine years, Texas stood as its own republic — courted by Britain, rejected by one U.S. Senate vote, then finally admitted by a different route entirely…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Mexican Independence and the Colonization of Texas
Eleven years of war, a negotiated treaty, and an army's peaceful march into Mexico City in 1821 secured Mexican independence. What came next — colonization…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | The Mexican-American War Begins: Lincoln, Polk, and a War's Uncertain Origins
A skirmish on disputed land. A president's claim that blood had been spilled on American soil. In 1846, that argument pushed the U.S. and Mexico into war…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: How One Signature Redrew a Nation
In 1848, a single treaty ended a war, handed the U.S. half of Mexico's land, and promised citizenship rights that weren't kept. Join us as we unpack the Treaty…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Tamsen Donner: A Voice Before the Disaster
Tamsen Donner wrote home from the trail in 1846, months before catastrophe struck her party in the Sierra snow. Her letters, and Patrick Breen's diary from the…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | The Untested Shortcut: Lansford Hastings and the Donner Party
In 1845, Lansford Hastings published a guidebook promoting a California shortcut he'd never traveled. In 1846, he urged wagon families onto it anyway. The…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Henry Clay: The Great Compromiser's Three Bargains
Henry Clay brokered three major deals — the Missouri Compromise, the 1833 tariff truce, and the Compromise of 1850 — that held the Union together each time…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | The Compromise of 1850: Five Laws, One Unraveling Peace
In 1850, Congress tried to defuse a crisis over California, slavery, and the Mexican Cession with five separate laws. One of them — a harsh new Fugitive Slave…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Jesse Applegate: A Trailblazer Who Found a Safer Road West
Jesse Applegate isn't a household name like Lewis and Clark. But after losing his son on the Oregon Trail in 1843, this surveyor blazed a safer road west and…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Narcissa Whitman: The Letters That Made Oregon Imaginable
She's often called "the first woman to cross the Rockies" — but that's not quite right. Narcissa Whitman's real legacy is her letters, which made Oregon feel…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | The Oregon Treaty of 1846: Stepping Back from War
The U.S. and Britain nearly went to war over Oregon. Instead, in 1846 they drew a line at the 49th parallel, settling a decades-old border dispute — while…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Kit Carson: Frontier Hero and the Navajo Long Walk
Kit Carson built one of the most celebrated reputations on the American frontier as a guide and soldier. He later commanded the 1863–64 military campaign…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Mary Ellen Pleasant: Fortune, Freedom, and a Fight for Equal Rights
Mary Ellen Pleasant built a fortune in Gold Rush San Francisco through business savvy, backed abolitionist causes, and fought racial exclusion in court…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | William Becknell: Father of the Santa Fe Trail
In 1821, a debt-ridden Missouri trader named William Becknell blazed a 900-mile trail to Santa Fe and returned with a fortune in silver. Discover how one…
- Sandra Day O'Connor Institute
Public Square | AI and Civic Life: Who Gets a Voice?
Artificial intelligence is becoming part of everyday life, shaping how people learn, work, receive information, and interact with institutions. As these tools…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Luzena Stanley Wilson: A Gold Rush Pioneer
Luzena Stanley Wilson traveled to California during the Gold Rush, building a new life through determination, ingenuity, and entrepreneurship. Discover the…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | James Marshall and John Sutter: The Discovery That Sparked the Gold Rush
A chance discovery at John Sutter's mill by carpenter James Marshall set off one of the greatest migrations in American history. Discover how a few flecks of…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Independence, Missouri: Where America's Westward Trails Began
Before thousands of pioneers headed west, they gathered in Independence, Missouri—the primary starting point for the Oregon, California, and Santa Fe Trails…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | James K. Polk and the Expansion of the United States
James K. Polk served just one term as president, but his leadership dramatically reshaped the United States. Discover how his presidency fueled westward…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | The Monroe Doctrine: A New Vision for American Foreign Policy
In 1823, President James Monroe announced a bold policy that would shape America's relationship with the Western Hemisphere for generations. Discover how the…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | John C. Frémont: The Pathfinder of the American West
Explorer, soldier, senator, and presidential candidate, John C. Frémont helped map the American West during a time of rapid expansion. Discover how his…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | The California Gold Rush: The Discovery That Changed America
A few flakes of gold discovered at Sutter's Mill sparked one of the greatest migrations in American history. Discover how the California Gold Rush transformed…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | John Hancock: More Than a Famous Signature
His bold signature on the Declaration of Independence became an American icon, but John Hancock's contributions went far beyond pen and ink. Discover the life…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Martha Washington: America's First First Lady
Long before the title "First Lady" existed, Martha Washington helped define what public service could look like. Discover how her leadership, resilience, and…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Rachel Revere: The Patriot Behind Paul Revere's Ride
While Paul Revere made history with his famous midnight ride, Rachel Revere quietly supported the Patriot cause from home. Discover the story of the woman…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Thomas McKean: The Founder Who Never Stopped Serving
Thomas McKean held multiple public offices while helping lead America through its founding years. Discover how one determined statesman balanced extraordinary…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Benjamin Harrison V: A Founder with a Lasting Legacy
Benjamin Harrison V signed the Declaration of Independence and helped guide Virginia during the nation's founding. Discover the story of the statesman whose…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Button Gwinnett: The Founder Who Bet Everything on Independence
An English-born merchant turned revolutionary, Button Gwinnett risked his fortune and ultimately his life for American independence. Discover the remarkable…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Esther De Berdt: Rallying Women for the Revolution
Esther De Berdt Reed inspired women across the colonies to support the Patriot cause through organized fundraising and civic action. Discover how her…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Sarah Franklin Bache: Leading Through Service
The daughter of Benjamin Franklin, Sarah Franklin Bache became a civic leader in her own right, organizing relief efforts and supporting the Continental Army…
- Sandra Day O'Connor Institute
Equality and Justice for All, with Justin Hansford, J.D.
Ratified on July 9, 1868, the 14th Amendment extended the protections of the Bill of Rights to formerly enslaved people—but the work of achieving equity and…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Benjamin Rush: Founder, Physician, Educator
Benjamin Rush was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a pioneering physician, and a passionate advocate for education and civic virtue. Discover how…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Catharine Macaulay: A Voice for Civic Liberty
Across the Atlantic, historian Catharine Macaulay championed liberty, constitutional government, and the principles that inspired the American Revolution…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | William Williams: Connecticut’s Steadfast Servant
William Williams signed the Declaration of Independence and dedicated his life to serving his colony and the new nation with integrity and conviction. Discover…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Catherine Moore Barry: Unsung Hero of the American Revolution in South Carolina
During the American Revolution, Catherine Moore Barry used her knowledge of the South Carolina countryside to aid Patriot forces and support the cause of…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | From Coins to Greenbacks: The Story of U.S. Paper Money
How did America go from colonial coins and foreign currency to the paper money we use today? Discover the fascinating history of American money and how a…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | John Hull and the First American Mint: A Bold Step Toward Colonial Self-Reliance
Long before the United States had a national currency, John Hull helped establish the first mint in colonial America. Discover how one silversmith’s work…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Molly Pitcher (Mary Ludwig Hays): Revolutionary War Heroine of Monmouth
Legend and history come together in the story of Molly Pitcher, the woman remembered for carrying water to soldiers and stepping into battle when duty called…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Robert Morris: The Financier Who Funded American Freedom
Armies may win battles, but wars require resources. Robert Morris used his financial expertise and personal credit to help fund the American Revolution…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | James Madison: How a Soft-Spoken Virginian Helped Shape a Nation
Known as the “Father of the Constitution,” James Madison played a pivotal role in creating the framework of American government and protecting individual…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Richard Henry Lee: The Revolutionary Who Moved America Toward Independence
Before the Declaration of Independence was written, Richard Henry Lee introduced the resolution that set America on the path to nationhood. Discover the story…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | What Are the Articles of Confederation, and Why Did They Fail?
America’s first national government united the states after independence, but serious weaknesses soon emerged. Discover how the Articles of Confederation…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Ann Bailey: Riding Through Danger, Delivering Hope
On the American frontier, Ann Bailey became known for her courage, resilience, and determination in the face of danger. Discover the remarkable story of a…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Fort McHenry and the Star-Spangled Banner
As British forces bombarded Fort McHenry during the War of 1812, one symbol remained visible through the night: a flag that inspired a nation. Discover the…
Sandra Day O'Connor InstituteBefore It Became History | Peter Salem: A Patriot's Courage Helped Shape a Nation
Peter Salem fought for American independence and earned recognition for his bravery on the battlefield. Discover the inspiring story of an African American…