Mack gives examples from real life, Steves waxes philosophical about liberty, and Anne pursues happiness.

REFERENCES

The idea of liberty and justice for all has been a thing from the beginning, but the phrase is best known from the Pledge of Allegiance:

Greene, Charlotte. “The Pledge of Allegiance.” USConstitution.net. https://usconstitution.net/pledge-html/

Can we start with the property-owning white men:

Johnston, Mindy. “Timeline of Voting Rights in the United States.” August 28, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Timeline-of-Voting-Rights-in-the-United-States

A 700-year monarchy:

Britannica Editors. “Kings and Queens of Britain.” Updated December 5, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Kings-and-Queens-of-Britain-1856932

Many of the states, on their own by the early to mid-1800s, are expanding who can vote:

University of North Texas. “A Brief History of Voting in America.” https://guides.library.unt.edu/voting/history-of-voting-America

Take the free exercise of religion:

Constitution Annotated. “Amdt1.4.1 Overview of Free Exercise Clause.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/amdt1-4-1/ALDE_00013221/

Originally the Bill of Rights did not apply to states, that comes with the Fourteenth Amendment later:

Legal Information Institute. “Fourteenth Amendment.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/fourteenth_amendment_0

Public schools in Massachusetts were run by the church:

Roos, David. “What School Was Like in the 13 Colonies.” Updated March 19, 2026. History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/13-colonies-school

On their own, states are going away from the connection between the government and the state-sanctioned churches that they had:

Baily, Ellen and Newton, Heather. “Separation of Church and State: Overview.” 2024. EBSCO. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/law/separation-church-and-state-overview

Around the time of the Civil War:

Weber, Jennifer L. “American Civil War.” Updated April 19, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/American-Civil-War

We’re recording this on Juneteenth:

Britannica Editors. “Juneteenth.” Updated June 17, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Juneteenth/additional-info#history

Wyoming in 1869:

WyoHistory.org “Women’s Suffrage and Women’s Rights.” https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/topics/womens-suffrage-and-womens-rights

The Nineteenth Amendment:

National Archives. “19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Women’s Right to Vote (1920).” Reviewed February 8, 2022. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/19th-amendment

When that amendment was ratified, around half the states already let women vote:

Nelson Alexander, Brooke. “20 States Where Women Could Vote Before 1920.” Updated February 24, 2026. Reader’s Digest. https://www.rd.com/article/states-where-women-could-vote-before-1920/

Texas, nevertheless, ratified the Nineteenth Amendment:

Dallas Historical Society. “Suffrage in Texas.” https://www.dallashistory.org/suffrage-in-texas/

Unless you’re in the South:

Merrit, Keri Leigh. “Voting Rights and Restrictions in Pre-Emancipation America.” The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/essays/voting-rights-and-restrictions-pre-emancipation-america

There was a lot of variability:

Olson, Grace. “The States Decide How Elections are Run.” July 9, 2025. National Conference of State Legislatures. https://www.ncsl.org/state-legislatures-news/details/the-states-decide-how-elections-are-run

There were some states that would even let foreign residents vote:

Espinoza Jaen, Caryl. “Can Green Card Holders Vote in U.S. Elections?” June 18, 2026. Manifest. https://manifestlaw.com/blog/can-green-card-holders-vote/

Citizenship as we understand it now was not a concept in the 1800s:

Pence Law Library. “The Fight for the Right to Vote.” Updated September 16, 2024. https://wcl.american.libguides.com/voting/history/timeline

Not necessarily better than it was 5 years ago:

Waldman, Michael. “Epic Corruption in Plain Sight.” May 19, 2026. Brennan Center for Justice. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/epic-corruption-plain-sight

That’s going to restrict some people’s voting rights:

Stone, Peter. “Experts Alarmed as Trump Launches Broad-Front Attack on U.S. Voting Rights.” June 16, 2026. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/16/trump-voting-rights-elections

The language is even in the Declaration:

National Archives. “Declaration of Independence: A Transcription.” https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript

The letters between John and Abigail

Henderson Crane, Jennifer L. “Analysis: Letters of Abigail Adams to John Adams.” 2022. EBSCO. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/analysis-letters-abigail-adams-john-adams

There were women back then, there were even men back then, that thought women should vote:

Museum of the American Revolution. “When Women Lost the Vote: A Revolutionary Story, 1776–1807.” https://www.amrevmuseum.org/virtualexhibits/when-women-lost-the-vote-a-revolutionary-story

For that matter, there were even abolitionists back then:

Negussie, Tesfaye. “Quakers, One of the First Abolitionists, Renew Their Call for Resistance as America Turns 250.” July 3, 2026. ABC News. https://abcnews.com/US/quakers-1st-abolitionists-renew-call-resistance-america-turns/story?id=134422099

The Emancipation Proclamation:

National Archives. “Transcript of the Proclamation.” https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-proclamation/transcript.html

People who may not know the history:

Gardullo, Paul. “Emancipation Proclamation: An Introduction.” 2022. National Museum of African American History and Culture. https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/emancipation-proclamation-striking-mighty-blow-slavery/introduction

There were parishes in Louisiana that were under control of the Union Army:

Sacher, John M. “Civil War Louisiana.” Updated June 24, 2024. 64 Parishes. https://64parishes.org/entry/civil-war-louisiana

General Gordan Granger:

Schwartz, Allison. “Gordon Granger.” National Museum of the United States Army. https://www.thenmusa.org/biographies/gordon-granger/

He used his powers as Commander in Chief during time of rebellion:

Pinkster, Matthew. “Lincoln and War Powers.” 2013. Dickinson College. https://housedivided.dickinson.edu/sites/lincoln/warpowers/

The Thirteenth Amendment:

Constitution Annotated. “Thirteenth Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-13/

It would be ratified:

National Archives. “13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery (1865).” https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/13th-amendment

Later on, when there is a lot of internal migration:

Gregory, James. “The Great Migration (African American).” University of Washington. https://depts.washington.edu/moving1/black_migration.shtml

Opal Lee was one of these community members:

National Museum of African American History and Culture. “Who is Opal Lee? The Story Behind the Grandmother of Juneteenth.” https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/who-opal-lee

Like how Memorial Day started:

Waxman, Olivia B. “The Overlooked Black History of Memorial Day.” May 22, 2020. https://time.com/5836444/black-memorial-day/

There are people who are opposed to it:

Stewart, Celina. “Juneteenth and the Danger of Selective Memory.” June 19, 2026. League of Women Voters. https://www.lwv.org/blog/juneteenth-and-danger-selective-memory

The characterization of the last founding father:

Pierre, Don. “Martin Luther King, Jr. Was America’s Last Founding Father.” January 20, 2020. The National Interest. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/martin-luther-king-was-americas-last-founding-father-115381

He was murdered:

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute. “Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.” https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/assassination-martin-luther-king-jr

How many times was he thrown in jail:

Black History. “Martin Luther King, Jr. was Arrested 29 Times for These So-Called Crimes.” https://www.blackhistory.com/2019/11/martin-luther-king-jr-was-arrested-29-times-crimes.html

Everyone should read the letter from Birmingham jail:

Bill of Rights Institute. “Letter From Birmingham Jail.” https://billofrightsinstitute.org/primary-sources/letter-from-birmingham-jail/

We’re seeing that today with the queer community:

ACLU. “Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights in U.S. State Legislatures in 2026.” https://www.aclu.org/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights-2026

With trans folk:

Trans Legislation Tracker. “2026 Anti-Trans Bills Tracker.” https://translegislation.com/

Justice Scalia:

Houck, Aaron M. “Antonin Scalia.” Updated March 7, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Antonin-Scalia/additional-info#history

We could not find the exact case that Mack was referencing, but here is another illustration of Justice Scalia’s opinion on rights:

Whitaker, Morgan. “Scalia: Supreme Court Shouldn’t ‘Invent New Minorities’.” August 20, 2013. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna52802025

Ninth Amendment:

Constitution Annotated. “Ninth Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-9/

There’s this quote from Michelangelo:

Michelangelo. “The sculpture is already complete…” AZ Quotes. https://www.azquotes.com/quote/722675

Mack got this one all wrong (and Steve backed him). No one is sure who originally said, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,” but Civics at the Rocks couldn’t find anyone who thinks it might be Demosthenes or John Adams. Mostly, everybody agrees it wasn’t Thomas Jefferson:

Deis, Robert. “Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.” January 27, 2026. This Day in Quotes. https://www.thisdayinquotes.com/2026/01/eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-liberty/

And, in case you’re wondering:

Murphy, James J. “Demosthenes.” Updated February 27, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Demosthenes-Greek-statesman-and-orator

Orange Blossom cocktail:

https://www.liquor.com/recipes/orange-blossom/

There are, apparently, a lot of variations on the New Fashioned cocktail. This is the closest to what we had:

https://www.cocktailsdrinks.com/new-fashioned-cocktail-recipe/

Roosevelt cocktail:

https://www.liquor.com/recipes/roosevelt/

It’s vanillin:

National Library of Medicine. “Vanillin.” https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Vanillin

Rhum Barbancourt, which is from Haiti:

https://barbancourt.com/en

What’s happening in Haiti:

Dickinson, Daniel. “‘Hope’ for Haiti’s Political Future as Some 300 Groups Reportedly Register for Upcoming Elections.” March 16, 2026. United Nations. https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/03/1167143

It was a whole big thing:

Nawaz, Amna; Adwoa Antwi-Boasiako, Nana; and Merchant, Azhar. “How Americans are Welcoming World Cup Fans From Across the Globe.” June 18, 2026. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-americans-are-welcoming-world-cup-fans-from-across-the-globe

America’s big birthday:

https://america250.org/

The first of its kind (at least in the modern era):

Dutta, Somapika. “10 Oldest Democracies in the World.” Updated 2026. Oldest.org https://www.oldest.org/politics/democracies/

Many countries follow our model:

Bradertscher, Eric and Stingl, Alexandar. “The United States and World Democracy: An Overview.” 2024. EBSCO. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/political-science/united-states-and-world-democracy-overview

Some people are under attack:

Human Rights Watch. “U.S.: Trump Administration’s Pervasive Attacks on Rights.” February 4, 2026. https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/02/04/us-trump-administrations-pervasive-attacks-on-rights

The Bicentennial:

Kennedy, Leslie. “How Americans Celebrated the 1976 Bicentennial: Photos.” Updated June 25, 2026. History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/american-bicentennial-1976-photos

The United States having to leave Vietnam very rapidly:

Spector, Ronald H. “The Fall of South Vietnam.” Updated February 6, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Vietnam-War/The-fall-of-South-Vietnam

The energy crisis:

National Museum of American History. “Energy Crisis.” https://www.americanhistory.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/american-enterprise/online/consumer-era/energy-crisis

And Watergate:

Perlstein, Rick. “Watergate Scandal.” Updated June 12, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Watergate-Scandal

Carter ends up defeating Ford:

U.S. Polling Data. “1976 Presidential Election.” https://uspollingdata.com/elections/1976/

No, there were issues. For instance:

Britannica Editors. “Japanese American Internment.” Update May 11, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Japanese-American-internment/additional-info#history

E pluribus unum:

Kenny, Miles. “E Pluribus Unum.” Updated December 13, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/E-pluribus-unum-United-States-motto

The great American experiment:

Coens, Thomas. “Why Franklin, Jefferson, and Lincoln Considered American Democracy an ‘Experiment’—and Were Unsure if it Would Survive.” December 5, 2023. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/why-franklin-washington-and-lincoln-considered-american-democracy-an-experiment-and-were-unsure-if-it-would-survive-213852

The Great Depression:

Pells, Richard H. “Great Depression.” Updated May 20, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Great-Depression/additional-info#history

During Hoover’s presidency:

Britannica Editors. “Herbert Hoover.” Updated June 29, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Herbert-Hoover

You have the Dust Bowl:

Johnston, Mindy. “Dust Bowl.” Updated June 3, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Dust-Bowl

Roosevelt wins in ’32:

Leuchtenburg, William E. “Franklin D. Roosevelt: Campaigns and Elections.” Miller Center. https://millercenter.org/president/fdroosevelt/campaigns-and-elections

There were Americans who were like…I’m either going to be communist or fascist:

Gregory, James. “Great Depression in Washington State: Radicalism.” 2009. University of Washington. https://depts.washington.edu/depress/radicalism.shtml

We at Civics at the Rocks couldn’t find any inspirational speeches given by the mayor of New York for the week of June 19, 2026. If you feel so inclined to look, you might have better luck. In completely unrelated news: GO SPURS GO! POR VIDA!

Here’s Obama’s speech:

NBC Chicago Staff. “Read Barack Obama’s Full Speech at Grand Opening for his Namesake Center in Chicago.” June 18, 2026. 5 Chicago. https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/read-barack-obamas-full-speech-at-grand-opening-for-his-namesake-center-in-chicago/3950680/

Here’s Michele Obama’s speech:

NBC Chicago Staff. “‘Hope is All We Have’: Read Michelle Obama’s Full Speech at Obama Center Grand Opening.” June 18, 2026. 5 Chicago. https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/hope-is-all-we-have-read-michelle-obamas-full-speech-at-obama-center-grand-opening/3950620/

A cocktail called a Metropolitan:

https://www.cocktailwave.com/recipes/metropolitan

Mack is referencing Matthew 25:40:

Bible Analysis. “What Does Jesus' Teaching on Treating the 'Least of These' Reveal About Our Relationship With God and Our Understanding of Neighborly Love?” https://www.bibleanalysis.org/what-does-jesus-teaching-on-treating-the-least-of-these-reveal-about-our-relationship-with-god-and-our-understanding-of-neighborly-love/

And, unlike Mack and Steve, Anne was not alive for the Bicentennial. But you already knew that.