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
Why Won’t Barack Obama Go Away?
In 1921, Woodrow Wilson, the first of America’s four transformative progressive presidents, became the first president to remain in Washington and make the nation’s capital his permanent home after leaving office. In very mild defense of the man who did more than any other to establish the administrative state and thus pervert America’s carefully constructed…Josh Hammer -
- News
Florida Launches Rival to ‘Woke’ AP US History
The Florida Department of Education launched a new framework Monday to explicitly compete with “woke” Advanced Placement U.S. history courses, following criticism that the College Board embeds racist bias and “diversity, equity, and inclusion” into such courses. The department will launch the Florida Advanced Courses and Tests framework for U.S. history as a pilot program…Tyler O’Neil -
- Opinion
The Bible, America 250, and Restoring ‘What Really Matters’
From the president to plumbers, hundreds of Americans spent last week speaking the Word of God at the “America Reads the Bible” event in Washington, D.C. Among them, Tim Goeglein of Focus on the Family. “The reason I was so honored to be there and to read is because you can’t understand the founding of…Al Perrotta -
- Opinion
The King’s Visit and the Roots of American Order
It may seem odd that the reigning English monarch is visiting the United States to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence. Yet, as King Charles III acknowledged in his speech to a joint session of Congress, the ties binding the American Republic and the United Kingdom are stronger than any ill will lingering from…Michael Lucchese -
- News
King Charles Addresses Congress, Celebrates America’s 250th
King Charles III gave a joint address to Congress Tuesday, giving members a break from discussing the farm bill, reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and funding for the Department of Homeland Security, all of which have been held up in the House Rules Committee. Vice President JD Vance, Speaker Mike Johnson, and members…Virginia Grace McKinnon -
- Opinion
What I Saw in the Young People Who Attended ‘America Reads the Bible’
Recently, I had the honor to address a group of young adults in the District of Columbia for “America Reads the Bible,” a weeklong gathering featuring national leaders from every sphere of influence reading the Bible aloud and broadcast live around the country. Held in celebration of America’s 250th year, this event, sponsored by Christians Engaged and the Family Policy Alliance, calls our nation to reengage…Timothy Goeglein -
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Clarence Thomas’ Great Speech on the Declaration
Many speeches will be delivered this year about the Declaration of Independence as we celebrate its 250th birthday. However, I think the greatest was just delivered by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on April 15 at the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas, Austin. The force of Thomas’ words does not just result from his deep…Star Parker -
- Opinion
America at 250: Still Dominating the World—and Here’s Why the Left Won’t Admit It
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of today’s edition of “Victor Davis Hanson: In a Few Words” from Daily Signal Senior Contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to The Daily Signal’s YouTube channel to watch past episodes. Hello, this is Victor Davis Hanson for The Daily Signal. This year, on July Fourth, will be the…Victor Davis Hanson -
- 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 -
- News
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 -
- News
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 -
- News
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 -
- News
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 -
- News
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