Jamie Gass

Op-ed: Time is right to study Jefferson in our schools

/0 Comments/in , , , /by Jamie Gass
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on
LinkedIn
+

By Jamie Gass and Will Fitzhugh

“Students of reading, writing, and common arithmetick . . . Graecian, Roman, English, and American history . . .,” Thomas Jefferson advised about democratic education, “should be able to guard the sacred deposit of the rights and liberties of their fellow citizens.”

Friday marks the 275th anniversary of Jefferson’s birthday. Given his world-changing achievements, this milestone is worthy of recognizing — and of being taught in our public schools. His contributions to the American civilization are incalculable; he was a revolutionary, statesman, diplomat, man-of-letters, scientist, architect, and apostle of liberty.

Rather than forcing a titan like Jefferson to conform to our era’s often Lilliputian-style narcissism, we should study history by entering the past with imagination and humility.

In drafting the Declaration of Independence, the most elegant and universally quoted political document in history, Jefferson displayed his greatest talents. He powerfully combined literary language and self-evident truths to shape the legal and political future of the United States.

Read more of this op-ed in your favorite news outlet: The Standard Times of New Bedford, The Berkshire Eagle, The Salem News, The MetroWest Daily News, The Providence Journal, and Gloucester Times, and The Daily Caller.

Get Updates On Our US History Initiative

Related Posts:

Teaching The First World War In Schools Is Topic For Pioneer History Forum

Event to feature Pulitzer Prize winner, celebrated Pres. Wilson…

“The War to End All Wars”: Teaching the First World War in Schools

Please join Pioneer Institute, the United States World War…

Cursive and Historical Literacy: A Real World Example

0 Comments
/
In the age of computers and modern convenience, the relevancy…

Op-ed: The Great Statesman Cicero Presides Over The Ides Of March Forever

0 Comments
/
“How I could wish that you had invited me to that most glorious…

Op-ed: Slaving history must not be forgotten

1 Comment
/
Read this op-ed in The New Bedford Standard Times, The Lowell…

Join Us Mar. 20: “A Fire You Can’t Put Out”: Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, Civil Rights, & School Choices

0 Comments
/
In the aftermath of a contentious electoral season, highlighted…

Celebrating Presidents’ Day & K-12 U.S. History Instruction

As we celebrate Presidents' Day, Pioneer Institute is pleased…

Pioneer Celebrates the Legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today, America celebrates the legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin…

Op-ed: Teaching children assures that we will never forget

0 Comments
/
Our schoolchildren need to learn Elie Wiesel’s wisdom, and the tragic events of the Holocaust, but they largely don’t. Wiesel's book Night is not an “exemplar text” in the nationalized K-12 standards, Common Core... Despite the post-World War II pleas to “never forget,” we are forgetting, and so are our children.

Op-ed: Teaching American History: A Straightforward Fix For The Bay State

0 Comments
/
Read this full article on WGBH News.  THOMAS BIRMINGHAM It’s…

Honoring the Service and Sacrifice of Our Veterans

0 Comments
/
Memorial Day is a time to reflect on the men and women who have…

Pulitzer Prize Winners To Be Featured At Event On Teaching Jacksonian Democracy In Schools

Student Essay Contest Winners Announced Contact Jamie Gass,…

Op-ed: State should revive US history requirement

0 Comments
/
To teach students how to exercise the rights and responsibilities associated with active citizenship in a democracy, Massachusetts should revive the requirement that public school students pass a US history MCAS test to graduate from high school.

Column: The last of ‘The Last of the Mohicans’

2 Comments
/
Public school children are unlikely to read "The Last of the Mohicans," a masterpiece of American literature, thanks to Common Core's emphasis on "informational texts."