In his farewell address, President Ronald Reagan issued a warning and a challenge. His warning has proven prescient; his challenge, timeless. Together, they pierce today’s politics like a stiletto.
Reagan had won reelection in a 49-state landslide — a benchmark never since approached. He’d conquered inflation and reinvigorated the economy. He’d reasserted our military and moral strength; liberated Eastern Europe; set in motion the dissolution of the Soviet Union; and led the United States of America to its position as the world’s sole superpower.
He could have taken a victory lap. Instead, acknowledging “the resurgence of national pride,” President Reagan warned:
“It won’t count for much, and it won’t last, unless it’s grounded in thoughtfulness and knowledge.
“An informed patriotism is what we want. Are we … teaching our children what America is and what she represents in the long history of the world?
“… We’ve got to do a better job of getting across that America is freedom — freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise. And freedom is special and rare. It’s fragile; it needs protection.
“… We’ve got to teach history based not on what’s in fashion but what’s important … If we forget what we did, we won’t know who we are. I’m warning of an eradication of the American memory that could result … in an erosion of the American spirit.”
Has the nation heeded his plea?
Not among high-school seniors.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress ranks student performance as advanced, proficient, basic or below. In the latest test of U.S. History, how many 12th graders ranked proficient or better? Twelve percent — by far the lowest of any of the 11 subjects tested. Basic or better? Forty-five percent. Not even half of high-school seniors have a basic understanding of American history.
What about college students? Using high school questions on American history, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni surveyed seniors from 55 elite universities. How many received the equivalent of a C or better? 19%. 81% deserved a D or F.
How about adults generally? Immigrants who want to become American citizens must correctly answer 60 of the 100 questions on the U.S. Citizenship Test. What if we gave the test to existing citizens? The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation found that two-thirds of American citizens couldn’t pass. The results revealed “stark gaps in knowledge depending on age.” Of those 65 and older, 74% passed. Of those younger than 45, only 19% passed.
The retiring generation knows American history; the rising generations do not. The result?
- The Constitution’s constraints are disregarded; its limited grants of enumerated powers ignored; its carefully calibrated checks and balances undermined.
- Political discourse has degenerated into a miasma of tweeted insults and televised shoutfests.
- First Amendment freedoms are under assault.
- Most millennials prefer socialism to capitalism.
“Wherever the people are well informed,” said Thomas Jefferson, “they can be trusted with their own government.” Conversely, “If a nation expects to be ignorant & free, it expects what never was & never will be.”
The greatest threat to freedom now comes not from any external enemy, but from internal ignorance that has reached pandemic proportions. To preserve the freedoms we now enjoy, we must teach the rising generation to understand, appreciate, and defend them — before they’re lost.
That’s the mission of the organization I lead: Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge. Headquartered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, the crucible of the American Revolution, Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge builds understanding of the spirit and philosophy of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
During the school year, we bring thousands of students from around the country to our magnificent campus immediately adjacent to Valley Forge National Historical Park for intensive, immersive, experiential education in the history, ideals, and continuing relevance of the American Founding. During the summer, we do likewise for hundreds of K-12 teachers, providing college-accredited, graduate-level, professional-development courses exploring the founding ideals as manifest throughout American history.
Participants in these multiday programs emerge not merely informed, but transformed. They return suffused with gratitude to be heirs of the American experiment. Realizing the value of the freedoms bequeathed to them, they’re eager not merely to claim the rights of citizenship, but to shoulder the corresponding responsibilities.
In this vital work of civic education, Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge is supported by local volunteer chapters throughout the nation. Our Utah Chapter is among the strongest. At its annual heroes luncheon today, the Utah Chapter will honor several citizens who exemplify civic virtue. In the coming months, the chapter will send 75 high school students to Valley Forge for our Spirit of America youth leadership program. And this summer, the chapter will sponsor 20 teachers to Freedoms Foundation programs.
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction,” said President Reagan. “It has to be fought for and defended by each generation.” For its exceptional efforts to ensure that the rising generation does precisely that, Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge salutes its Utah Chapter.
David Harmer is president and chief executive officer of Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge.