Photo entitled “Old Legacy” by Maxwell Laible
“Education, then, beyond all other devices of human origin is the great equalizer of the conditions of men — the balancing wheel of social machinery."
~ Horace Mann 1848
Throughout the history of our government, one of the key understandings has been that having an educated nation is necessary to having a strong, healthy democracy. One whose citizens are active in their communities, engaged in their democratic governments, and who understand the enlightenment ideas our nation is based upon.
Yet, despite the widespread diffusion of these ideas, many young and old do not appreciate these lessons. Though many may attribute this sort of apathy to a level of common ignorance, this is simply not true. Adults with jobs and kids, and a litany of other stressors often find it difficult to find the time to understand and appreciate almost 250 years of documents outlining the shared philosophies of the many who made our modern world what it is.
In order to have these kinds of communities, it is important to have resources like the Center for Civic Education that provide people with access to the collective knowledge our nation was founded on. Thankfully, for 60 years, this organization has pushed to teach students how to be enlightened and responsible citizens, actively engaged in democracy. When there are groups like this who work to maintain these lessons’ importance in society, it becomes easier to better it and ourselves.
“Promote, then, as an object of primary importance institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge.”
~ George Washington, 1797
Since before I was born, my mother has kept in her purse a copy of a booklet titled “American Legacy” put out by the Center for Civic Education that includes the Constitution and “other essential documents of American History.” It’s an idea fostered by my grandmother, a life long learner, both passionate about history and an English teacher by nature. This habit has become an almost symbolic practice: Taking the ideas our country is built on with you as you go, and not forgetting them in the way it’s so easy to do in the modern age.
My mother’s now 20 year old copy had been worn over the course of 3 childhoods and the hectic life she lived outside of them. Last month, she discovered that not only were the little books still in production, but they had rather recently released a second edition. Edits in the new version are significant. Many of the articles were changed to better support the modern political landscape and another few dozen pages were added, She found this curious and shared it with my brother, who asked if he could have it, and carry on the tradition into another generation.
It’s a handy little tome. In addition to offering the Declaration of Independance and The Constitution in full, it includes excerpts from important documents, such as The Federalist Papers, which were designed to help a young nation understand its purpose and the need to ratify its Constitution. Many other documents and speeches are referenced as well, such as George Washington’s Farewell Address, Thomas Jefferson’s Inaugural Address, the Seneca Falls Declaration, which drew upon the Declaration of Independence to appeal for women’s rights, excerpts from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. numerous Supreme Court Cases, and many other key speeches and proposals to advance the noble ideals put forth by our nation’s founding fathers.
You can find it on Amazon for less than $3. It fits easily in a pocket or purse and makes a good primer for any US Citizen. If you would like to support the Center for Civic Education, and learn more about its work, you may do so here
It was fascinating to compare the new and old copies. Much was added, much was removed. The highlighted articles, listed to the right, are not included in the second edition. I found many of these still useful to building a better understanding of our nation’s history. Though some have aged less well, they still give a perspective on how our own identity has shifted in the past two decades.
Listed below are organizations who make these texts accessible.
- The Mayflower Society
- Article 1
- Yale Law School Lillian Goldman Library
- Articles 2,3,4,5
- National Parks Service
- Article 7
- The Library of Congress
- Articles 8,11,13
- National Susan B. Anthony Museum
- Article 9
- The National Archives
- Article 10,16 17, 18
- Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library
- Article 12
- Civic Nebraska
- Article 14
- Justia
- Article 19
- 1 The Mayflower Compact 1620
- 2 Alexander Hamilton, from The Federalists No.1 1788
- 3 Alexander Hamilton, from The Federalists No.51 1788
- 4 James Madison, from The Federalists No.78 1788
- 5 Andrew Jackson, From Proclamation 1832
- 6 Excerpts from Horace Mann, 10th & 12th annual reports to the MA Board of Education 1846 & 1848*
- 7 Sojourner Truth, from Ain’t I A Woman” 1851
- 8 Abraham Lincoln, from First Inaugural Address 1861
- 9 Susan B. Anthony, on Women’s Right to Vote 1873
- 10 John Marshall Harlan, from From Plessy v. Ferguson 1896
- 11 Woodrow Wilson, from Peace Without Victory 1917
- 12 Franklin D Roosevelt, from The Four Freedoms 1941
- 13 Robert Jackson, From West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette 1943
- 14 Learned Hand, from The Spirit of Liberty 1944
- 15 Ralph J. Bunche, from The Challenge of Human Relations 1950*
- 16 Dwight D Eisenhower, from Farewell Address 1961
- 17 John F Kennedy, from Inaugural Address 1961
- 18 From Civil Rights Act 1964
- 19 Hugo L. Black, From NYT. Co. v. US 1974
