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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- News
SEC Chairman Says at NYSE That Top-down ‘Communism’ Is a Proven Failure
As America turns 250 years old, it’s important to remember that freedom, not top-down communism, created our prosperity, Security and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins said in a speech at the New York Stock Exchange Tuesday morning. The SEC chairman’s speech about “Revitalizing American Markets” comes a month after New York voters elected socialist Zohran…Jarrett Stepman -
- Opinion
Victor Davis Hanson: The Fallacy at the Heart of Ken Burns’ ‘American Revolution’ Documentary
In today’s Thanksgiving episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words,” Victor Davis Hanson and Jack Fowler take issue with director Ken Burns’ assertion in his “American Revolution” documentary series that the Founding Fathers based their ideas for democracy on the Iroquois Nations. Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of today’s edition…Victor Davis Hanson -
- Opinion
Thanksgiving: The Quintessential American Holiday
Gratitude is an essential attribute of people who are happy and living purpose-filled lives. Sometimes success leads to gratitude, but it’s more accurate to say that gratitude breeds success. And ingratitude breeds failure. This is a common biblical theme, best epitomized in the Book of Exodus. Shortly after God (through Moses) freed the people of…Preston Brashers -
- Opinion
Florida Becomes First State to Adopt Phoenix Declaration to Renew Education
On Thursday, Florida became the first state in the union to adopt the Phoenix Declaration as its guiding vision for education. After a brief hearing, the Florida Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt the principles of the declaration, which has seven planks: parental choice and responsibility, transparency and accountability, truth and goodness, cultural transmission,…Jason Bedrick -
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How AI Programming Threatens to Erase Reality
Winston Churchill once said, “History is written by the victors.” In today’s world, history is being rewritten by the coders, the censors, and the corporate overlords who believe they have the moral authority to decide what truth means. Artificial intelligence was sold to us as the dawn of a new age of freedom designed to…Bill Flaig -
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New Bill in Ohio Could Help Charlie Kirk’s Legacy Live On
In the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, an Ohio state representative has an idea for how Kirk’s legacy could live on for generations to come. State Rep. Gary Click, a Republican, has introduced the Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act. According to the bill’s text, it will “permit teachers in public schools and state institutions of…Rebecca Downs -
- Opinion
Three Fundamental Differences That Are Dividing Americans
Americans don’t just disagree on policies. In three key areas, they disagree on the principles that lead to the creation of those policies. The first is truth. Some people believe that absolute truth exists—a shared reality outside of ourselves. We may not like the truth, but attempting to deny it will only cause confusion, frustration,…Victor Joecks -
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Columbus Day Honors Our Civilization … Which Is the Real Reason Critics Hate It
Battles over Columbus Day aren’t really about Christopher Columbus at all—they’re about whether America should exist. “Columbus’s journey carried thousands of years of wisdom, philosophy, reason, and culture across the Atlantic into the Americas—paving the way for the ultimate triumph of Western civilization less than three centuries later on July 4, 1776,” President Donald Trump…Daniel McCarthy -
- Opinion
Trump’s Celebration of Columbus Day Shows Left Losing Culture Wars
“We’re back. Columbus Day. We’re back, Italians. We love the Italians.” That was President Donald Trump on Thursday to his Cabinet as he signed a proclamation to honor Christopher Columbus on Columbus Day, to be celebrated on Monday. “Columbus, obviously, discovered the New World in 1492,” Trump said. “He was a great Italian explorer. He…Jarrett Stepman -
- Opinion
An Unexpected Line in the Sand
There has been talk for millennia about the wheat and the tares and the eventual separation of the two that Jesus foretold. I don’t know if that separation is happening in the ultimate sense right now, but something is happening and it is significantly unsettling. I admit, I thought any major, society-wide division would be…Kimberly Ells -
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Coalition Backs Trump’s Efforts to Purge ‘Woke’ Smithsonian Exhibits
A coalition of conservative organizations has written a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to combat the “the woke infestation” in the Smithsonian Institution museum network. “We write today in support of your efforts to reform the Smithsonian Institution,” reads a letter penned by Aiden Buzzetti, the president of The Bull Moose Project. The…George Caldwell -
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US Trade Rep Outlines Policy That Puts Middle Class First
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Wednesday declared the need for an economy that “emphasizes a large middle class that makes and grows, rather than a small elite that extracts, reallocates, and squanders.” “Ultimately, to support a conservative society as conservatives, it’s been drilled into us to always lament that politics is downstream from culture,…Jacob Adams -
- Opinion
Sen. Schmitt at NatCon 5: What Is an American?
The following are remarks as prepared by Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., on Sept. 2 at the National Conservatism Conference in Washington, D.C. There’s a special significance to this conference this year. Donald Trump’s victory was not just a victory for his movement, but for the ideas of the people in this room. National conservatism is…Eric Schmitt -
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Father Condemns Loudoun County for Choosing ‘Ideology Over Common Sense’ in Punishing His Son
ASHBURN, Va.—Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears condemned Loudoun County Public Schools for deciding to punish boys who complained about a girl using their locker room, and urged outraged parents to support her campaign for governor in the November election. “We’re talking about three boys, three young boys, who have been punished because they were ……Tyler O’Neil -
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Executive Power and the Common Good, From 4 Perspectives
In a recent discussion that brought influential thinkers of the Right together for an unprecedented public debate, Curtis Yarvin, Christopher Caldwell, Patrick Deneen, and Chris Rufo tackled the conservative movement’s future in a panel convened by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and held at The Heritage Foundation. Moderated by Intercollegiate Studies Institute President Johnny Burtka, the…Jacob Adams -
- Opinion
Redistricting in Historic Perspective
In assessing the current controversy over Texas Republicans’ proposed redistricting of the state’s U.S. House seats, two historic facts should be considered. One is that the principle of equal representation by population is well established in American history. In 1787, the Constitutional Convention required the members of the House of Representatives to be apportioned according…Michael Barone -
- Opinion
Trump Is Right: Illegal Immigrants Shouldn’t Be Counted in Census
President Donald Trump is correct in seeking to exclude illegal immigrants from being counted in the census. Census numbers determine the apportionment of congressional seats and spending. The illegal immigrant population should not be here in the first place, so it should have zero effect on seats or spending. But Trump must go further and finally fix the census, which the Left has…Mike Gonzalez -
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Heritage and Cato Debate Conservatism vs. Libertarianism
Interns from The Heritage Foundation and Cato Institute faced off in a debate on conservatism vs. libertarianism Thursday, arguing which philosophy was the better approach for governing America. Debate moderator Matthew Continetti of the American Enterprise Institute facilitated a series of rounds between the teams on the topics of immigration, international trade, and political philosophy. …Quinn Delamater -
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‘Godfather of the Conservative Movement’: Outpouring of Tributes to Heritage Founder
Leaders across the country and world honored conservative icon Ed Feulner, who died Friday at age 83. Feulner was The Heritage Foundation’s founder and longest-serving president. Political figures praised Feulner’s decades-long influence on the conservative movement. Newt Gingrich, a former House speaker who often collaborated with Feulner, hailed his transformational leadership of Heritage and the…Philip Roberts -
- Opinion
Making America Great Means Making Buildings Beautiful
On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to “Make Federal Buildings Beautiful Again,” calling for a return to neoclassical architecture in federal construction. To some, this may seem like mere aesthetic preference. But a look back at the history of American architecture reveals that there is a lot more to modern art…Richard Stern