Trump Signs Executive Order To Establish A 1776 Commission To Instill ‘Patriotic Education’

TOPLINE

 President Trump on Monday signed an executive order to establish a 1776 Commission to advise the president on how America’s founding story should be taught in schools, an effort that was criticized by some historians and educators when he first addressed it in a speech responding to the 1619 Project and other efforts to change how American history is taught.

KEY FACTS

The executive order establishes a 20-person 1776 Commission under the Department of Education which will help the president promote what he calls “patriotic education.” 

The commission will be responsible for tasks including delivering a report about the main principles of America’s founding story and supporting the government’s plans to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The executive order also requires federal agencies to prioritize federal resources for schools that prioritize “patriotic education” and to ensure that all schools receiving federal funds celebrate Constitution Day. 

The president did not mention the 1619 Project by name in his executive order, but alluded to it, writing that the “recent attacks” on the founding story have centered on race and slavery which he called “one-sided” and “divisive.”

KEY BACKGROUND

Some educators and historians criticized Trump’s plan when he first raised it in September. William R. Ferris, a professor of history at the University of North Carolina, told the New York Times it was an example of Trump “treating historians just as he treats scientists — by disregarding our very best voices who have written on American history and race.” Instead of creating a new commission, Ferris urged Trump to request congressional aid for programs that already exist to teach American history, such as the Library of Congress and the National Archives. New York University professor Diane Silvers Ravitch, an education historian, wrote a blog post noting the federal government doesn’t have the authority to change school curriculum because it is up to the states. She claimed the president was trying to “whitewash” history.