Citizenship/Politics Archives

How Colonial Trades Shaped the American Revolution

[Guest Author: Rachel Rodewald returns to Writing for the Public Square with a newly contributed post about colonial trades for the Countdown America 250 series. Rachel holds a Master’s Degree in History from George Mason University.]

The story of America’s founding is the story of ordinary citizens engaged in a wide variety of colonial trades—silversmiths, blacksmiths, printers, coopers, ropemakers, carpenters, tailors—who came together in pursuit of a free and independent nation. Most remain nameless, lost to the ages. But a few, like Paul Revere, are the stuff of legend.

Colonial Tradesman Paul Revere

When we think about Paul Revere, he’s usually atop a galloping horse. Signaled in the middle of the night by fellow Sons of Liberty member Robert Newman and a lantern hung in the Old North Church, Revere rides to alert nearby residents that “the British are coming!” This indelible image of the celebrated patriot, immortalized by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, has been held by generations of schoolchildren and adults.

Unvarnished and Irresistible History

History Unvarnished and Irresistible — Historic Independence Hall in Philadelphia—birthplace of America’s Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution

Author and columnist Peggy Noonan wrote a terrific piece in the Wall Street Journal recently about the importance of knowing history. She was reviewing a collection of essays, interviews and speeches by the late historian David McCullough called History Matters (pre-orders available here).

Noonan made an interesting observation about our understanding of history. She writes, “You can’t be dreamy about the past and say, ‘It was nice then.’ It was never nice, it was made by human beings. You can’t say, ‘People were better then.’ They weren’t.”

It’s true, we do tend to romanticize the past. We like our heroes strong and resolute, our villains dastardly. On a recent trip to Philadelphia, I realized how strong a gravitational pull nostalgia exerts. Like most Americans, I delight in the stories and characters of our founding. Paul Revere’s midnight ride. Betsy Ross stitching the first American flag. General Washington leading the Continental Army into battle against the Redcoats.

The problem with nostalgia is that it oversimplifies. It amplifies the “dreamy” and glosses over the unsavory bits. To really honor and learn from the American story (or any historical account for that matter) requires more than sentimentality. We need the unvarnished version. Which is what makes Rick Atkinson’s book The British are Coming such an irresistible read.

America’s Hopeful Vision Transcends Political Division

In this semiquincentennial year, I’ve heard more than a few folks say they wish they felt more celebratory about America at 250 but political division gets in the way. So much rancor and disagreement around every corner. It’s true, we live in a highly polarized moment of history. But I’m not sure that makes us unique, let alone defines us. In fact, today’s political climate bears an uncanny resemblance to that of early American politics.

I submit the case of two Founding Fathers: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. The same duo that brought us the Declaration of Independence, also introduced political division. They shared the same vision for American independence but held intensely different views as to the nature of the new republic. For decades they worked in tandem. Then for years, they found themselves at cross-purposes, and their bond of friendship slowly unraveled. In time, the two would rekindle their long-held amity. The full arc of their friendship provides a sympathetic model for how we each might approach our own feelings in the countdown to America’s 250th.

America’s Money Problem

America’s money problems didn’t start with today’s $36 trillion national debt (though that’s a whopper of a problem). In fact, if George Washington were telling the story, he might say that money woes nearly cost America her independence from the start.

For eight long years, despite repeated pleas to Congress, Washington was forced to bootstrap a half-starved, rag-tag, and disease-ridden Continental Army. As Joseph J. Ellis writes in Revolutionary Summer: The Birth of American Independence, “The Continental Army was kept on life support but was never provided the money and men Washington requested, even though the resources for a larger and better-equipped army were readily available.”

In part, the brick wall Washington repeatedly ran into centered on a reluctance among delegates to embrace the idea of a central army. A powerful military was one of their chief grievances against the British Crown after all.

America’s Countdown to 250!

It’s true. America’s countdown to 250 has begun. With the arrival of July 4th festivities this week, America steps into an important year of celebration and reflection. In 12 short months, we will mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the beginning of our bold, beautiful, and often boisterous nation.

In the current climate, the lead-up to our semiquincentennial feels equal parts momentous and fractious. How do we prepare ourselves for this historic milestone? A short answer…crack open a book!

The Delight of Reading Rediscovered

Americans seem to have lost our delight for reading. How do we rediscover that delight and read well again?

(This long-form article was originally written for and appears on The Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation and Culture platform.)

Americans have a reading problem. We seem to have lost our delight for reading. For starters, fewer of us can be found with our noses in a book these days. According to a recent Gallup poll, book readership is on the decline, with just 6% of U.S. adults naming reading as their favorite way to spend an evening. That’s down from 12% in 2016. During the height of the pandemic, when (presumably) we all had more time for leisure activities, Americans were more inclined to reach for the television remote than a bestselling novel. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. adults (age 15 and older) spent, on average, just 30 minutes per day reading in 2021, but upwards of three hours watching television.

A modest two-year increase in book sale activity between 2019 and 2021 had many observers believing the pandemic would give rise to a reading renaissance of sorts. But last year, those hopes were tempered when unit sales of print books fell 6.5%. Even more alarming than book-sale statistics is the percentage of Americans who have not picked up a book in the past 12 months. By one measure, roughly a quarter of American adults (23%) say they have not read a book in whole or part in the past year. Another study puts that figure closer to 50% and reports one in 10 adults hasn’t read a single book in the past decade.

And how’s this for a startling statistic: two-thirds of 4th graders in the U.S. cannot be classified as proficient readers. The National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) routinely measures trends in reading achievement among U.S. elementary and secondary students. NAEP’s 2022 report card showed average reading scores for 10-year-olds dropped three points compared to the previous testing period. Worse, in the 30 years since the current assessment framework was established, NAEP has reported no significant change in reading results. In other words, reading skills and proficiency levels have remained flat for three decades. No wonder reading isn’t a high priority for most adults.

Statistics like these ought to fuel a desire for closer scrutiny of America’s reading problem—in the classroom, but also in the broader public square. From a public policy standpoint, there is a lot of room for conversation about improving the state of reading in the U.S. For example, is it possible or even worthwhile to redirect the reading drift, or is reading passé in a digital age? How does reading benefit us as a society and as individuals? And are there habits we can cultivate that transcend reading? To even begin exploring the depths of these questions, we must start with a more fundamental question: Why read?

A Few F-words for 4th of July

Patriotism has taken a hit in recent years. Especially during the 4th of July. In some circles it’s fashionable to slam the U. S. of A. — to punctuate its flaws and denigrate its virtues. Other camps seem to have confused love of country with an exaggerated sense of purpose. Either way, decorating the porch with red, white and blue bunting feels a little off kilter this year.

I’m old enough to remember the national exuberance during the Bicentennial celebration in 1976. That summer, tall ships filled New York and Boston harbors. Johnny Cash served as Grand Marshall at the U.S. Bicentennial parade in our nation’s capital on the 4th of July. There was an official Bicentennial logo and commemorative postage stamps, coins, license plates and other merchandise.

Disneyland and Disney World hosted America on Parade. Local communities painted benches, fire hydrants, mailboxes and phone booths in patriotic colors. The popular Schoolhouse Rock! series created America Rock to teach youngsters about American history and government. (Throughout the year, I proudly wore the shirt my mom hand embroidered using the Betsy Ross animated character from the series – seen here.)

That summer, the wave of patriotism drenched America from coast to coast. We loved it. It felt refreshing to celebrate our nation on the 4th of July. To acknowledge our history with a sense of accomplishment even as we emerged from some difficult moments including the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal.

By many accounts, America is having a difficult moment right now, in 2023. We are polarized. We are mean-spirited. We are worried.

Which is precisely why the 4th of July is a good time to pause and ponder the fundamental and enduring values we continue to hold dear. It’s okay to do that even as we acknowledge our shortcomings. And it’s possible to respectfully observe nearly 250 years of achievement from a posture of humility.

Here’s a start. A carefully curated selection of F-words worthy of celebration this 4th of July, from the pages of our own history:

Religious Freedom and the Desire for Human Flourishing

Contrary to John Lennon’s wistful imaginings, a world without religion would not be a peaceful world. It would be an angry place, with occupants void of that which animates them, gives them meaning and purpose. Human flourishing depends on our ability to imagine a world where religious freedom is cherished, protected, and encouraged.

Two dozen years ago, members of Congress made a deliberate and unanimous choice to stand as beacons of this most fundamental of human rights. With the passage of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA), legislators sought to underscore America’s centuries-old commitment to the freedom of religion and belief and established the framework to elevate religious freedom as a priority within U.S. foreign policy.

Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken has affirmed that commitment, saying, “We know that when the fundamental right of each person to practice their faith or to choose not to observe a faith is respected, people can make their fullest contributions to their community’s success; entire societies are better off.”

I invite you to read my long-form piece: Religious Freedom: An Essential Lyric for Human Flourishing which appears today in The Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation and Culture.

In it, I address the importance of religion in the public square, how the U.S. incorporates religious freedom into foreign policy, and why Christians in particular should care about international religious freedom as a front-burner issue.

If inspired, I also encourage readers to participate in next week’s IRF Summit 2022, scheduled for June 28-30 in Washington, D.C., with an opportunity for virtual participation. This year’s three-day event is co-chaired by former IRF Ambassador Sam Brownback and Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights. Details about speakers, topics and registration can be accessed here.

Finding Dignity in Our Life’s Work

Historically in America, our understanding of dignity in the workplace has been closely aligned with a work ethic steeped in diligence, discipline, thriftiness and personal accountability. Generations have been raised to believe that the formula for success depends on a can-do attitude, hard work, and a little gumption. But like so much else in the current moment, the pandemic has upset our understanding of work and what counts for dignity.

Arthur Brooks, a Harvard professor and behavioral social scientist, writes, “Social science, ancient philosophy, and common sense all testify that meaningful work and the means of earned success are vital drivers of happiness, human flourishing, and our sense of basic dignity.” Brooks has traveled the world exploring ways to bring dignity to people, particularly those at the margins of society. He concludes, “Nothing destroys dignity more than idleness and a sense of superfluousness—the feeling that one is simply not needed.”

Even as we scramble to understand the full shape and scope of current shifts within the American workplace, it is clear that our basic “need to be needed” axiom is in jeopardy. A recent Pew Research study estimated close to 10 million U.S. workers lost their jobs in the first year of the pandemic alone. This, while the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports that, in November 2021 alone, a record 4.5 million workers quit their jobs. What is happening in the American workplace and how can we find the dignity of work we desire?

Of course, in God’s economy, work and dignity are inseparable. Work is one of the most tangible ways we live out our relationship with God and practice discipleship with those around us. The Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation and Culture has published my long-form article about the impact of COVID on the workplace and our common quest to find dignity in our life’s work.

Read the full article here.

How to Pray for our Nation’s Leaders

How to Pray for our Nation's Leaders People of faith are called to pray for those in civil authority, whatever their political persuasion. But how do we best pray for our nation’s leaders? What if we don’t agree with them? What if our prayers feel pointless?

1 Timothy 2:1-2 encourages each of us to offer petition, prayer, intercession, and thanksgiving for all people — “for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”

Prayer is not a partisan endeavor; it transcends politics. It does not endorse a particular party or candidate. Rather, prayer exalts the one true God. And prayer is one way we can stand united, even in moments where unity seems out of reach.

As we approach the 4th of July holiday, I invite you join me in praying for our nation’s leaders. I’ve created a convenient one-page guide based on scripture that offers 8 ways we can lift our leaders in prayer each day. Download it for free today!

Category: Citizenship/Politics