Dr. Kristin Dutcher Mann, professor of history at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, will explore the story of the replica Liberty Bells placed across the nation, including South Dakota’s bell outside the Soldiers & Sailors World War Memorial Building in Pierre. Her talk highlights the 1950 Independence Savings Bond Drive, the nationwide campaign that sent these bells to every state as symbols of patriotism, civic responsibility, and postwar optimism. Mann’s research reveals how these often-overlooked monuments continue to shape our understanding of American identity and the meaning of independence today.