Mann鈥檚 research on the 1950 Independence Savings Bond Drive, a massive postwar campaign that sent replica Liberty Bells to each state, the Truman Presidential Library, Annecy, France, and Tokyo, Japan, has resulted in a digital exhibit, and several public lectures. Her biographical entry on William Wilson Campbell, the longtime volunteer state savings bond director, is featured in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

Mann’s work will be featured in a forthcoming museum exhibit for the Arkansas State Capitol that will be a part of America 250 celebrations. Her work is helping to illuminate how these bells, forged from the spirit of postwar optimism, continue to shape America鈥檚 sense of identity and symbolism today.

Mann recently shared her findings during an 鈥淓venings with History鈥� lecture titled 鈥淪elling America on Independence: The 1950 Savings Bond Drive and Its Replica Liberty Bells,鈥� held in November in the Ottenheimer Auditorium at the Historic Arkansas Museum.

鈥淚 specifically chose this project knowing that America鈥檚 250th birthday was right around the corner,鈥� Mann said. 鈥淎nniversaries are moments of reflection. They invite us to think about who we are, what we value, and how our symbols have evolved over time.鈥�

A Forgotten National Campaign

In the early 1950s, the U.S. Treasury Department faced a challenge. The war bond drives that had helped finance World War II were ending, and officials needed a new way to encourage Americans to keep buying savings bonds. Their solution was a patriotic marketing campaign centered on a timeless symbol: the Liberty Bell.

The Treasury鈥檚 Savings Bond Division commissioned exact reproductions of the Liberty Bell for every U.S. state and territory. Cast in France, shipped to the U.S., and mounted on trucks by Navy personnel, the bells toured their assigned states between May 15 and July 4, 1950. These celebrations were accompanied by parades, music, and calls to 鈥淪ave for Your Independence.鈥�

鈥淭he Treasury Department wanted people to see saving as not just a personal virtue but an act of citizenship,鈥� Mann explained. 鈥淭hey linked thrift and patriotism in a very deliberate way. They sold the idea that saving for your family鈥檚 future was also saving for America鈥檚 future. This savings bond campaign helped shape the idea of the American Dream.鈥�

Arkansas鈥檚 replica Liberty Bell now stands as part of the Bicentennial Monument on the State Capitol grounds, where Mann first encountered it while teaching a course called History with Objects. That classroom project sparked what has now become a multi-year national research initiative.

Research That Rings Across the Nation

Mann鈥檚 digital exhibit, 鈥�,鈥� hosted through the ArcGIS StoryMaps platform, has already attracted more than 1,000 views from visitors across the U.S. and around the world. It is the first scholarly resource to compile archival documents and photographs from the National Archives, Truman Presidential Library, and other collections into a public, interactive format.

鈥淭his is the first exhibit that makes use of original government records from the National Archives and the Truman Library,鈥� Mann said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting to make that material accessible to everyone 鈥� not just academics, but teachers, students, and anyone interested in American history.鈥�

Mann鈥檚 semester-long research leave during the fall 2024 semester allowed her to travel to major archives in Washington, D.C., Texas, and Kansas with support from the Moneyhon Research Fund and the Truman Library Foundation.

鈥淚t was glorious,鈥� Mann said. 鈥淎t a teaching-focused university like 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, having time for focused research is invaluable. The university鈥檚 investment in my work allows me to give back by sharing these stories with students and the public.鈥�

Mann鈥檚 work has sparked collaboration well beyond the classroom. She is partnering with the Arkansas Secretary of State鈥檚 Office and the Daughters of the American Revolution to raise $45,000 for the restoration of Arkansas鈥檚 replica Liberty Bell, which has weathered decades outdoors. The goal is to restore the bell in time for it to ring on July 4, 2026, during the America 250 celebrations.

At the same time, Mann is designing a new exhibit called 鈥淎merican Symbols鈥� that will open at the Arkansas State Capitol in summer 2026. The exhibit will explore icons such as the Liberty Bell, the American flag, and the Pledge of Allegiance through interactive displays and digital storytelling, featuring contributions from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been wonderful to involve students in this project,鈥� Mann said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e helped research primary sources, design teaching materials, and even attend planning meetings at the Capitol. It鈥檚 an opportunity for them to learn how history connects to civic life.鈥�

For Mann, the story of the replica Liberty Bells is a reflection of how Americans have used symbols to define themselves through changing times.

鈥淓ach generation sees the Liberty Bell differently,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n 1950, it was a symbol of postwar optimism and civic duty. In 1976, it became part of the Bicentennial celebration. And now, as we approach America鈥檚 250th, it reminds us to think about what independence and unity mean today.鈥�

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Dr. Kristin Dutcher Mann, professor of history and social studies education coordinator at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, will present, 鈥淭eaching History in Polarized Times,鈥� from 7-8:30 p.m. March 7, at the Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock. Refreshments will be served at 7 p.m., and the talk will begin at 7:30 p.m.

The talk will discuss the contentious nature of history and social studies education, in light of recent legislation surrounding  the 1619 Project, critical race theory, and the teaching of divisive concepts.

Mann will also examine how history educators approach teaching the next generation of citizens. She will situate the challenges of teaching history today within the context of other politically-charged times and places.

The Evenings with History series, sponsored by the University History Institute, features presentations by 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock faculty and guest speakers sharing their research and teaching interests. Admission to the series is by subscription, but visitors are welcome to attend individual talks for free. 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students may attend free of charge.

For more information about the History institute and its Evenings with History lecture series, people may contact Dr. Michael Heil, associate professor of history at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, at mwheil@ualr.edu or visit /history/history- institute/.

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