Founding Fathers & American History
Essays and features on the Founding Fathers, constitutional principles, and how America’s heritage informs today’s political and cultural debates.
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opinion
America’s Children Need Heroes Again
Every child is looking for someone to become. The only question is where he will find that person. For generations, American schools helped with that quest by introducing students to heroes—men and women whose courage, perseverance, and devotion to principle shaped the nation. George Washington’s voluntary resignation of his military commission after the Revolutionary War was… -
opinion
Rest Well, Young Patriot: Archeological Discoveries From the Battle of Camden
War is cruel. The Battle of Camden illustrates this, and recent discoveries on that battlefield shed light on the events of Aug. 16, 1780. Fought in the summer heat of South Carolina’s Midlands, Camden stands as one of the most consequential battles of the American Revolution. Though a disastrous loss for the Patriots, it became a turning point in… -
opinion
John Adams Already Refuted the Democratic Socialists of America’s Ideas
The Democratic Socialists of America don’t like being called communists, though many members might echo the sentiment of leftist influencer Hasan Piker when he says, “I don’t have an issue with an end goal of communism.” Yet, however the group self-identifies, its agenda is openly revolutionary. Its plans call for, among other things, abolishing the United States Senate and… -
opinion
Fauci’s Downfall Reveals the Danger of Rule by ‘Experts’
The rise and fall of Fauci is one of the great political lessons of our time about the folly and destructiveness of rule by so-called expertise. On Wednesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in his appearance before… -
opinion
Matthew Spalding Tutors Congress on How the Smithsonian Has Attacked Our History
“When in the course of human events …” With those words, Thomas Jefferson began the Declaration of Independence and gave voice to a proposition that would change the world. The phrase is not ornamental. It is the architecture of political history. Nations are born, tested, defended, and sometimes squandered by human events: decisions made by… -
opinion
The Filibuster: An Accident Turned Into Tradition
The filibuster is unconstitutional. Our Founding Fathers spoke against requiring a supermajority threshold to pass regular measures in Congress, yet the erroneous practice continues today via the filibuster. Current Senate practice reaches beyond our Founders’ original plan that a supermajority vote was only to be used for the five instances listed in the Constitution and… -
opinion
Trump’s America Involves ‘the Same Arguments’ as the Historical Period That Gave Birth to the Klan, Barack Obama Says
Former President Barack Obama recently gave America another reminder of how his presidency—once expected to bring the country together—left us more divided on race. Obama compared America under President Donald Trump to the tumultuous period after the Civil War that gave birth to the Ku Klux Klan. He said the U.S. is “having the same… -
opinion
Great Seal of Virginia Turns 250
Virginians were busy 250 years ago this month. In Philadelphia, of course, Virginians were leading the 13 Colonies into the war that would free them from the British Empire. But others remained in Williamsburg, where the Virginia Convention was hard at work shaping what an independent state would look like. It ratified the Virginia Declaration… -
news
From Viral Hearings to Key Bills, Brandon Gill’s Doing What It Takes to ‘Save the Country’
Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, is a freshman congressman known for his viral moments at Capitol Hill hearings. He had another such moment Tuesday as he sweetly, but devastatingly, dissected the director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History over her woke stewardship of the taxpayer-funded entity. Shortly after the exchange, Gill spoke with… -
opinion
From Monroe to Clinton, How the American Presidency Changed
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of today’s edition of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words” from Daily Signal senior contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to Victor Davis Hanson’s own YouTube channel to watch past episodes. Sami Winc: Your presidents today are, as you’ve been speaking of, Bill Clinton and then also [James] Monroe, who followed on… -
opinion
Frederick Douglass’ Message for Conservatives Today
On July 5, 1852, in Rochester, New York, Frederick Douglass delivered one of the most important speeches in American history—and one of the most misunderstood. When “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” is remembered today, it is usually for the righteous anger of its middle section. Douglass was one of the nation’s… -
opinion
The American Spirit Is Alive in South Carolina
The American Revolution was won in South Carolina. Over 200 battles were fought in the Palmetto State between 1775 and 1782—more than in any other state. South Carolinians understand this, but these facts are often lost in other places. Many of us are working to rectify this as we celebrate the nation’s Semiquincentennial. After the… -
opinion
Erasing Little Italy Is About More Than a Map
New York City has long been celebrated as a city of immigrant neighborhoods. Little Italy, Chinatown, Harlem, Washington Heights, Brighton Beach—these communities tell the story of generations of newcomers who helped build America’s largest city while gradually becoming part of it. That history makes one omission from Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s recently released map of immigrant… -
opinion
Colonial America Already Ran the Socialist Experiment. It Failed.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told ABC’s Jonathan Karl last month that a democratic socialist can win any office in the country. He may be right about the contemporary politics, but he is dead wrong about the underlying economics, and Colonial America proved it four centuries before he took the oath of office. The… -
opinion
If We Don’t Teach Liberty to the Next Generation, We’ll Lose It
As America begins its next 250 years, conservatives face a challenge that cannot be solved by winning the upcoming election cycle alone. We must win the next generation. For decades, conservatives have rightly fought to reduce taxes, restrain government, protect constitutional liberties, and defend free markets. Those battles remain essential. But they will ultimately prove… -
news
New Bill Addresses Transgender ‘Governance Crisis’ at Daughters of the American Revolution
A new bill in Congress would amend the charter of the Daughters of the American Revolution to clarify that men who claim to identify as women cannot join the ladies’ genealogical society. A key leader of a coalition against men in the DAR told the Daily Signal that the bill would “solve all our problems.”… -
opinion
Victor Davis Hanson: Was George W. Bush Treated Unfairly?
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of today’s video from Daily Signal senior contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more of his videos. Victor Davis Hanson: If you look at George W. Bush, people—his reputation has gone up a little bit because he broke with [Donald] Trump, the next Republican. I’m not… -
opinion
The Smithsonian’s Patriotism Problem
“Warning: The exhibits in this museum were prepared by people who don’t want you to love your country.” That’s a disclaimer every entrance to the National Museum of American History ought to display, according to a new report by the White House excoriating the Smithsonian Institution and its flagship museum. But it doesn’t take a… -
opinion
Happy 250: Trump Says Communism Is America’s Next Enemy
President Donald Trump’s speech at Mount Rushmore last week identified what makes America great—and that communism is the rising ideology threatening American greatness. On the eve of America’s 250th anniversary, the president known for his love of “American exceptionalism” delivered a speech with familiar sentiments about the beauty of our nation. But he included a… -
opinion
What the Media Missed About the Great American State Fair
Media outlets such as The Guardian and Forbes described the Great American State Fair as a disappointment because of extreme heat, weather delays, and lower-than-expected crowds. But as a volunteer during the event’s opening days, I saw firsthand that the event was much more than the negative headlines suggested. Presented by Freedom 250, the free…