This administration is promoting the upcoming 250th anniversary of the American Revolution as a time to celebrate “a new era of American greatness.”
U.S. history textbooks and standards are plastered with the country’s founding documents, so-called “Charters of Freedom”: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. It is important that young people study these texts so they can better understand and act upon the system of government they have inherited. In most cases, however, the curricular charge accompanying these documents discourages critical thinking. Instead, they and their authors must be celebrated, if not worshipped.
In the face of the racial justice uprisings of 2020, the Trump administration doubled down on this approach with a glaringly whitewashed “1776 Commission.”
And state lawmakers have flooded legislatures with bills that outlaw teaching the history of racism or sexism, while insisting upon the “study” of founding documents. These measures demand that teachers and students never question the ruling class that founded this country — nor the one at the helm today.
That is why we have compiled resources for an honest study of the American Revolution, so that students can learn from history to shape a more just future. We invite your feedback and suggestions of resources to add.
HRE USA 