| Beginning this week’s curation is the latest essay in our 1776 Series, “Hamilton: Statesmanship in the Service of a Natural Rights Republic.” Tony Williams, a Senior Teaching Fellow at the Bill Rights Institute, writes that Alexander Hamilton was not simply “content with writing about American republicanism. He was a man of action who sought fame and personal honor in a war for liberty.” At the Claremont Review of Books, Richard Samuelson takes on the 1619 Project, noting that it “rests on false history.” He recounts a complex history of the genesis of American slavery and how the American Founders tried to put that institution on what Lincoln called the path of “ultimate extinction.” Staying in early America, Glenn Moots explores religious exercise and establishment in the colonies. As he concludes, “While it has been rightly said that Protestantism defined America, it can also be said that the experience of America defined its Protestants.” Turning to the present day, Josef Joffe writes at The American Interest that Alexis de Tocqueville can help us better understand cancel culture. For “whoever wants to understand what is afflicting Western postmodernity—with the U.S. going first and Europe following—should read the two chapters on the tyranny” in Democracy in America. That book makes the case that tyranny in America will likely be “imposed not by an oppressive regime, but by a free society.” Responding to the toppling of statues across the country, Jonathan Greenberg of the Jack Miller Family Foundation says that our “national identity” is based on an adherence to a shared “set of ideas and principles.” “If we let bad actors destroy those,” Greenberg argues, “we lose our last best hope.” Rounding out our curation for this week is Joshua Lawson’s piece in The Federalist on why we should keep “The Star-Spangled Banner” as our national anthem. “America needs more patriotism right now, not less,” Lawson explains, “and the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ is an essential part of the critical renewal of that great effort.” Original Posts Tony Williams, RealClearPublicAffairs In recent years, American civic culture has suffered deep cleavages. Civil conversations have been poisoned by battles over the meaning of America’s past... Essential Reading Richard Samuelson, Claremont Review of Books The Left’s cultural revolution is in one of its periodic Jacobin phases: statues defaced, beheaded, burned, and torn down; streets and schools and other things renamed... In the News Victor Davis Hanson, Daily Signal Isoke Samuel, NBC News Modupe Labode, National Museum of American History Emilie Dye, RealClearPolicy Alan Dershowitz, Jewish Press Andy Smarick, City Journal Jameson Broggi, Daily Signal Jeff Forrest, Smithsonian Magazine American Revolution Institute Joshua Lawson, The Federalist Josef Joffe, American Interest Michael J. Petrilli, Fordham Institute Jonathan S. Gould & Olatunde C. A. Johnson, The Atlantic Jonathan Greenberg, Philanthropy Roundtable Adam J. White, City Journal Sean Wilentz & Bill Kristol, Conversations with Bill Kristol Sean Wilentz, the distinguished Princeton historian, speaks on the importance of the careful and reflective study of American history... Amity Shlaes & Tony Williams, BRI Scholar Talka Tony is joined by Amity Shlaes, author of the best-selling books on Coolidge and on the Great Society, to discuss... Chris Flannery, American Story America takes pride in being a land of opportunity—for everyone, including those who suffer the impairments of nature, accident... Vincent Phillip Munoz & Nino Scalia, Madison's Notes How did the American Founders understand religious liberty? Why should students study the Founding? What is the relationship between the Declaration of Independence and... Michael Warren, Patriot Lessons Podcast What is the pursuit of happiness? How did the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, and the Founders establish the first nation... Carl Cannon's Great American Stories 07/27/2020 Twenty-four years ago today, an anonymous 911 call was received by an emergency operator in Atlanta during the Summer Olympics. ... 07/24/2020 It's Friday, July 24, 2020, the day of the week when I reprise an instructive or inspirational quotation. Today's concerns ... 07/23/2020 On this date in American history, Ulysses S. Grant died at age 63, Detroit was consumed by a 1967 race ... 07/22/2020 The weather forecaster on the local NBC affiliate in Washington, D.C., did not mince words this morning. High of 96, ... 07/21/2020 Yesterday, the Washington Nationals announced that Dr. Anthony Fauci will throw out the ceremonial first pitch when Major League Baseball belatedly begins ... | 
