Role of Government in Society
These messages focus on the benefits and limits of governmental institutions in supporting the citizenry.
-
Societal Progress
Anthony Comstock was born in 1844 in Connecticut. Through his experience serving with the Union Army in the Civil War, he became obsessed with what he considered to be the low state of morals among his fellow soldiers. Returning from the war, he worked at a number of...
Read More -
The Duplicity of Original Intent
The founding fathers were concerned that the government they were creating would have the power to take people’s property for public use without the owner’s permission. In the 5th Amendment, the so-called takings clause was added which stated that property could only...
Read More -
A Failed Mission: The Freedmen’s Bureau
President Lincoln established the American Freedmen’s Inquiry Commission to provide an understanding of what it would take for a positive transition from slavery to freedom for African Americans. In 1865, the Freedmen’s Bureau was established and authorized for one...
Read More -
State Sponsored Eugenics
Minnie Lee and Mary Alice Relf were 12 and 14 living in Montgomery, Alabama. They were the youngest of six children living in poverty. Their father was unable to work due to an automobile accident. The family received support from the local African American community....
Read More -
Story Telling for Change
Growing up, he loved to listen to his father and visitors to their rural area of the state as they shared stories. He watched those who visited his family intently as they reacted to the stories. When he didn’t understand a story, he imagined a better way...
Read More -
Forcible Removal from Your Homeland
Maude Jarrett was having a conversation with her granddaughter about her past. “We lived on a beautiful farm nestled between a chain of hills. I loved living on that farm. Our farm animals were my friends. Even when times were tough, our pantry was well stocked with...
Read More -
A Conflicted Life
John Collier was born in Atlanta 1884. He lost both his father and his mother before he was 16. While at Columbia University, he developed a social philosophy focusing on the need to build a sense of community in society. When traveling in New Mexico, John spent a...
Read More -
A Forceful Voice
It was thought to be an announcement about a major future development for the state. The Governor had invited Edwin Roche to give an address to the Legislature and his Cabinet. Roche was a state native and one of the most influential business leaders in America. The...
Read More -
The Destruction of the Economic and Cultural Heritage of the Navajo Nation
During the 16th century, Native American nations such as the Navajo and Hopi nations acquired Churro sheep from Spanish settlers. By the 18th century, the Navajo people began to rely upon the Churro for income derived from their wool. In 1864, the U.S. government...
Read More -
A New Oath of Office
The 18th Amendment to the Constitution which was enacted to constrict the sale and consumption of alcohol resulted from decades of activists who saw the consumption of alcohol was the result of the actions of activists. The result of the Amendment was the opposite of...
Read More