In the eighth symposium of the “We Hold These Truths: America at 250” initiative held at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, scholars of American history examined the American Revolution’s legacy in education and culture. Opening the first panel, Hillsdale College’s Wilfred McClay discussed historical debates over America’s “origin myth.” He argued that in a free society, a contested origin story is a strength rather than a defect. Rita Koganzon of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill traced how textbooks have shaped students’ understanding of the revolution. In the second panel, National Review’s Richard Brookhiser evaluated portrayals of the revolution in historical scholarship, literature, drama, and images. Monticello President Jane Kamensky investigated why so few films have successfully captured the revolution. She suggested that harnessing the “power of synecdoche” could help filmmakers create more compelling depictions of the revolution. AEI’s Allen Guelzo suggested that the upcoming semiquincentennial offers an opportunity to rejuvenate the spirit of the American Revolution. In his words, “The revolution is not over.”
TABLE OF CONTENTS
