| The historian Wilfred McClay leads off this week’s curation by arguing that all students need a solid, accurate, and patriotic understanding of American history that acknowledges the truth about our country – including both its successes and failures. Civic education should, he argues, “serve as a vessel of shared memory, imparting to each generation a sense of membership in its own society, a sense of living connection to its own past.” The Jack Miller Center has begun a historical series that examines Lincoln’s understanding of slavery and the origins of the Civil War. In his early political life, Lincoln firmly believed slavery was wrong and worked to stop its expansion in the West. With the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, he returned to the national political sage to fend off the policy of popular sovereignty, a supposed “solution” to the problem of slavery that instead sacrificed the very principles upon which this nation was built for short-term political gain. John Hood notes that American civic literacy is woefully inadequate, which is a problem because republican self-government relies on a citizenry that can pass civic knowledge along to future generations. A strategy that melds American history into works of fiction that feature “strong characters and compelling plots” would produce better citizens than simply trudging through dry, boring textbooks. Bob Woodson commemorates Memorial Day by writing about his own service in the Air Force and noting how the military historically has been a path of uplift for Americans of all races. But if the narrative of the 1619 Project becomes the default understanding of American history, then a patriotic love of country that is crucial for its continued success will wither away. Essential Reading Danielle Allen, et al., Educating for American Democracy Bottom Line: Members of Educating for American Democracy critique proposed U.S. Department of Education regulations that... Wilfred M. McClay, City Journal We live in anxious times. But many times in our past were far more anxious, and the reasons for anxiety then were more compelling... In the News Jack Miller Center Tom Hanks, New York Times Neil Patel, RealClearPolitics Miles Smith, Law & Liberty Marybeth Gasman, Forbes Joe Biden, White House Andrew Sullivan, The Weekly Dish D. L. Noorlander, New York Daily News Tony Williams, Constituting America Jeffrey S. Solochek, Tampa Bay Times Arelis R. Hernandez & Griff Witte , Washington Post John Hood, RealClearBooks Betsy McCaughey, RealClearPolitics David Deavel, AMAC Joseph Loconte, National Review Joshua Mitchell, Joseph Minich, & Dale Stenberg, Pilgrim Faith The Pilgrim Faith Podcast exists to create an inter-disciplinary conversation about a host of challenging topics for contemporary Christians... Kirk Higgins, Mary Patterson, & Elizabeth Evans, Primary Source Close Read Even the most influential and prestigious among us aren’t without their faults, and Thomas Jefferson was no exception. Join BRI staff Karen Tumulty & Stewart McLaurin, 1600 Sessions Nancy Reagan was an iconic First Lady who helped shape the legacy of one of the most consequential presidencies of the 20th... Chris Flannery, American Story The classic Western novel Shane opens in a valley in Wyoming Territory in 1889. Trouble is brewing. The local big cattleman is finding... Stephen G. Breyer & Jeffrey Rosen, National Constitution Center In this session, U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer joins National Constitution Center President a Michael Warren, Patriot Lessons 56 brave men signed the Declaration of Independence. Not all voted for it, and not all who voted for it signed it. Each of the signers... Carl Cannon's Great American Stories You all know what that means: It's quote of the week day. Today's comes from a suffragette who, like her ... Good morning, it's Friday, May 28, 2021, the day of the week when I reprise quotations intended to be uplifting ... Today is the 110th birthday of Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. Although he was a famed Minnesota Democrat, HHH was born and ... | 
