What So Proudly We Hail coeditor Diana Schaub, whom we feature here discussing how African American thinkers have helped shape our understanding of what it means to be an American, has an article in the most recent issue of the Claremont Review of Books, reviewing a new translation of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics.
On July 4, 1854, William Lloyd Garrison set fire to a copy of the U.S. Constitution. “A covenant with death,” he called it, “and an agreement with hell.” Holding the parchment above his head, he repeated forcefully a psalmic rouse to the hundreds of men and women gathered around him: “And let all the people say, Amen.” The crowd exploded: “Amen!”
“On the chilly, blustery morning of November 13, 1982, thousands of Vietnam War veterans assembled in the nation’s capital to march down Constitution Avenue. Some had donned army fatigues, camouflage suits, or dress uniforms; others wore business attire, with raincoats or jackets. They came from every state. […] The long line moved west down the avenue and gathered on the National Mall near the Lincoln Memorial. There, the marchers took part in … Read more »
As children prepare to go trick-or-treating tonight to celebrate Halloween–the evening before All Hallows (Saints’) Day–we have some suggested reading for the holiday: Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “Ethan Brand.” Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-64) was born into an old, established New England family, and his great-great-grandfather, John Hathorne, was one of the judges who presided over the Salem Witch Trials. Enduring moral and religious questions, as they emerged in the life … Read more »
On August 30, 1918, Theodore “Ted” Williams was born in San Diego, California. He began playing baseball at the age of eight, and made his major league debut with the Boston Red Sox on April 20, 1936. In 1956, he became the fifth baseball player ever to hit 400 home career home runs. On September 28, 1960, Williams played his last ball game–with the Red Sox–dramatically hitting a home run … Read more »
In the latest issue of Academic Questions–the quarterly journal of the National Association of Scholars—WSPWH editor Diana Schaub asks what happens when we as a nation try to teach citizenship education without recognizing that citizenship necessarily entails attachment to a particular country. Responding to the National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement’s report A Crucible Moment: College Learning & Democracy’s Future, Schaub notes that the report … Read more »
Distinguished scholar-teachers Amy and Leon Kass demonstrate how short stories, speeches, and songs can be used to enhance civic education and how a pedagogical approach that stresses learning through inquiry can make primary sources come alive for students of all ages.
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“What a wonderful collection of American songs, speeches, and stories. It should be valuable for teachers, students, parents, and readers of all kinds.”
— Diane Ravitch