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For Immediate Release
Office of Media Affairs
November 15, 2001

White House Unveils Lessons in Liberty for Kids

WASHINGTON, DC--In an effort to speak directly to children about the War on Terrorism and the history of America's efforts to preserve freedom, the White House today launched a new feature on whitehousekids.gov, a feature of the White House web site dedicated to children. The "Freedom Timeline," a five-part series on topics such as diplomacy and liberty, includes five stories, a vocabulary list, a quiz, and a teacher's guide. The timeline spans from 1777 to 1948 and includes the following anecdotes:

-    Unlikely Spy-The story of a Quaker woman from Philadelphia who learned of a sneak attack at Valley Forge in 1777 and warned Gen. Washington's troops.
-    Underground Railroad-The story of how Harriet Tubman liberated 300 slaves through the Underground Railroad.
-    Statue of Liberty-The history of France's gift to the United States.  
-    March of Dimes-Through funding from the March of Dimes, a cure for polio liberated Americans from the fear of this disease.  
-    Berlin Airlift-Candy Bombers-The story of the United States' efforts to provide humanitarian aid to the people of war-torn Berlin in 1948 by dropping food from airplanes as part of Operation Vittles.

Launched as a Presidential "first" in August 2001 by President Bush and Laura Bush, whitehousekids.gov features frequently-updated content for elementary school children ages five to twelve. The purpose of the site is to encourage reading and learning.

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