patriotism

July 4 Was Once a Day of Protest by the Enslaved

by Matt Clavin

The public declarations of freedom and political equality that accompanied Independence Day were a prompt for protest, escape, and rebellion for the enslaved. 

Militarized Super Bowl Abuses Truth of Pat Tillman's Life and Death

by William Astore

Tillman’s statue captures the essence of a man full of life. His death by friendly fire in a misbegotten war, made worse by the lies told to the Tillman family by the U.S. military, reminds us that the essence of war is death. The NFL, as a sponsored partner of the Pentagon, would like us to forget.

What is the Meaning of America's Oldest July 4th Celebration?

by Ben Railton

Bristol, Rhode Island's patriotic festivities are the oldest Independence Day festivities in the nation, but the town's history sits at the uncomfortable intersection of independence with the slave trade and wars of extermination against Native Americans. 

Is there Any Place for Patriotism on the Left? Michael Kazin and Rafia Zakaria Debate

Does patriotism help people on the left engage with the democratic process, ensuring it isn't dominated by the right? Or does it stop people from developing the international consciousness needed to address the world's problems? 

The Dangerous “Patriotism” of the January 6 Insurrection

by Ben Railton

The participants in the attack on the Capitol a year ago reflected a "mythic patriotism" founded on the belief in an authentic, white, Christian nation under attack by enemies dangerous enough to justify any measures in opposition. 

Has the Myth of the "Good War" Done America Harm?

Remembrance of the second world war obscures the ambivalence many Americans felt about the conflict and the frequent divergence of military strategy and propaganda from the noble ideals of freedom and democracy. Elizabeth Samet's book asks if the myth of the good war has encouraged war since.

Piety, Patriotism, and Paranoia: What Today's Right Takes From the American Revolution

by Thomas Lecaque and J.L. Tomlin

"As much as we might like to think that these invocations of Revolutionary identity are a misappropriation, the truth is there is plenty of precedent in early American history for the disturbing ideas, intentions, and modes of thought seen on the far right today."

Partisans Often Try to Claim July 4 as their Own. It Usually Backfires

by Kevin M. Kruse

Intense partisans seeking to use July 4 celebrations as a way to denounce their opponents as unpatriotic have seldom succeeded, though despite some notorious episodes of Independence Day chaos they will probably keep trying. 

The Battle for 1776

How will the re-emergence of history as a culture war battle front impact the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence? Annette Gordon-Reed, Jane Kamensky, Michael Hattem, Kevin Gover, Philip Mead, Robert Parkinson and Alan Taylor are among the historians commenting.

We, the Nation, Born Under This Tree

by Sean Cleary

A speech of Edward Everett and a painting by N.C. Wyeth create a mythical founding moment of an American nation conceived as a white homeland. 

Recovering Acts of Progressive Patriotism: Teaching Through Protest Music

by Matthew Lindaman

A history professor reflects on a course teaching critical perspectives on patriotism through protest and music that articulates an inclusive and progressive nationalism.

Blaming the Messenger: Trump, the KKK, and the War on Historians

by David Welky

Conservative demands for "patriotic" history education echo the culture war fought by the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s. 

Ben Railton Joins "Keeping Democracy Alive" to Talk "Patriotic Education"

American Studies scholar Ben Railton discusses his upcoming book "Of Thee I Sing: The Contested History of American Patriotism" and the political hijacking of the patriotic ideal. 

Trump's "Patriotic Education" Commission Yet Another Battle Over the Meaning of Those Words

by Ben Railton

In practice, as we see today with Trump and company, American celebratory patriotism has often been wedded to a second and far more divisive form: exclusionary mythologizing patriotism. There are alternatives that also deserve recognition as patriotism.

Belligerent Patriotism, or Why Donald Trump Cannot Mourn the Dead

by John Bodnar

The behavior of belligerent patriots in our times has made it clear that the type of allegiance they value most--and their image of America--leaves little room for an ethic of mutualism or compassion.

This Independence Day, We Need a Patriotism Index

by Gregory D. Foster

We must now develop a long-overdue Patriotism Index to quantitatively distinguish real Americans from the many poseurs and potential enemies who lurk among us.

Today's Biggest Act of Patriotic Love

by David M. Perry

Under quarantine, a majority of Americans are more united than ever, argues historian David M. Perry.

“Patriotic” Veterans Only, Please

by Gregory A. Daddis

While perhaps an indication of our current toxic political environment, the attacks on “unpatriotic” veterans like U.S. Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman actually have a long and checkered history in post-World War II America.

Reflecting on Patriotism in the Trump Era

by Vaughn Davis Bornet

As we celebrated our nation’s birthday, a lot of us wanted to feel patriotic. Our White House occupant clearly got in the way!

Battles over patriotism, Pledge of Allegiance in schools span a century

by Randall Curren and Charles Dorn

Seventy-five years ago, at the height of America’s involvement in World War II, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette that guaranteed public school students’ right to refuse to stand in patriotic salute.