Now that you have had a chance to unwind from the Fourth of July weekend, consider some common misconceptions about the holiday. While students across America learn about the importance of Independence Day, there are many myths surrounding America’s independence. In an interview with NPR, Ray Raphael, author of Founding Myths, helps to debunk the myths about the Fourth of July.
Today, we celebrate the Fourth of July with barbecues, parades, marching bands, and fireworks. But in earlier times, the day was also marked by specially prepared orations that commemorated our founding principles. A wonderful example of this at once celebratory and reflective genre can be found in the present selection, a speech that President Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933) delivered in 1926 in honor of the Declaration’s sesquicentennial.
On July 4, 1776, two days after it adopted the Lee Resolution that declared the united colonies’ independence from Great Britain, the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), which explains that decision by “declar[ing] the causes which impel them to the separation.”
Engage your students in a close reading of the Declaration of Independence with the help of these discussion questions from our Independence … Read more »
What is the legacy of the Declaration of Independence and its self-evident truths of equal and unalienable rights? Our new ebook, “The Meaning of Independence Day,” explores the history and ideas behind the American Founding and their significance for our present personal freedoms and national flourishing.
On April 19, 1775, the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first military engagements of the Revolutionary War, were fought. These battles would inspire Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous poem, “Concord Hymn,” which he wrote for the July 4, 1837 dedication of a memorial obelisk commemorating the fight at Concord.
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
