The Golden Chain of Reading: Patriotism

Our celebration of Independence Day is upon us. July 4th has so many meanings to Americans. For some it is simply a day of getting together with friends, having a cook-out and enjoying fireworks which seem to get more spectacular every year but which are never as viscerally exciting as when first seen through young eyes. For others there is a tinge of Memorial Day to it, remembering the history and the sacrifices attendant to that long ago Declaration of Independence. For some it is a day when we take stock of our world and our role and actions in it.

As an American raised abroad, it is always striking to me how wonderfully unabashed are Americans' expression of pride in their country and it is striking to others as well. Over the years many friends from overseas have expressed admiration, sometimes disdain, but most commonly puzzlement about the pervasive nature of American patriotism. They are, by and large, proud of their own countries and heritage but they find both the reach and the depth of Americans' brand of patriotism surprising and perplexing. American patriotism is not just a passive condition like some historical fact that is known but not frequently recollected. It tends to be a living condition, a motivating force in a way that is not common elsewhere; a part of our culture.

For all that we think of America as a young country, it is in fact the oldest constitutional republic in the world, a testimony to the resilience of the forms, processes and institutions of government created by that remarkable first generation of Founding Fathers and leaders whom we call patriots, but who started out as British citizens living in colonies in America and ended as patriots of a new country of their own collective creation, the product of deep knowledge and thought, married to the filthy process of pragmatic political compromise, serving both high-minded principles and self-interest.

There is therefore, I think, much to be proud of in our country and its history. Samuel Johnson, the great British lexicographer and polymath living and writing at the time of the American Revolution, is famous for many things but one of his more commonly quoted bon mots is "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel" (from Boswell's Life of Johnson). Johnson was not impugning patriotism per se but rather, those who dressed up their actions and masked their self-serving ends behind the bastion of patriotism.

One of his lesser known quotes though, and one that I think is important in understanding why patriotism in America has usually kept a reasonably safe distance from jingoism, is his comment that "No people can be great who have ceased to be virtuous." Contrary to to what you might expect, the patriotism expressed by Americans is usually closely matched with their capacity for self-criticism. We, as a people, are uncommonly motivated by a continuing desire to make things better and are seldom shy about vocally expressing where we have failed to live up to our own ideals; those inherited from the past or those that we have created for today. This capacity to love our country and yet to express that love by trying to hold it to higher ideals and a better future is a powerful engine.

So what are some good books for kids to read about patriotism? Well, certainly, I would argue that you can't go far wrong with just the retelling of those stories from the founding of our country, of the dissent leading to the war, the war itself, the false start with the Articles of Confederation and then the full flowering and founding of this country with the new constitution produced by the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

The issues dealt with, the personalities in play, the compromises made (good and bad), the issues fudged to be dealt with later, the scoundrels and the heroes, all have such resonance to our present circumstances that I think there are many lessons that are worth learning and planting in the minds of our children.

Below is a mix of iconic books that are still in print as well as some more recent books. I am very interested in any suggestions community members might have of other good American Revolution period books as the number of titles is so large it feels as if you are looking at an elephant through a straw, never quite seeing the whole picture. I would be especially interested if anyone is familiar with children's level books on either James Madison or Alexander Hamilton, a couple of founding patriots that seem to get short shrift. Take a look over in Book Lists for a more complete list, including good titles that are out of print that you might come across in a used book store.

Picture Books

And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? by Jean Fritz and illustrated by Margot Tomes

The Fourth of July Story by Alice Dalgliesh and illustrated by Marie Nonnast

I Pledge Allegiance by Bill Martin, Jr. and illustrated by Christopher Raschka

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and illustrated by Christopher Bing

Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and illustrated by Ted Rand

Paul Revere's Ride, The Landlord's Tale by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and illustrated by Charles Santore

A Picture Book of Thomas Jefferson by David A. Adler and illustrated by John C. and Alexandra Wallner

The Rooster Crows by Maud and Miska Petersham

Shh! We're Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz and illustrated by Tomie dePaola

The Star Spangled Banner by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire

When Washington Crossed the Delaware by Lynne Cheney and illustrated by Peter M. Fiore

Will You Sign Here, John Hancock? by Jean Fritz and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman

Independent Reader

American Revolution by Stuart Murray

American Revolution Battles and Leaders by Aaron R. Murray

Ben and Me by Robert Lawson

Can't You Make Them Behave King George? by Jean Fritz and illustrated by Tome dePaola

Childhood of Famous Americans Series

Childhood of Famous Americans - Abigail Adams by Jean Brown Wagoner and illustrated by James J. Ponter

Childhood of Famous Americans - John Adams by Jan Adkins and illustrated by Meryl Henderson

Childhood of Famous Americans - Crispus Attucks by Dharathula Millender and illustrated by Gray Morrow

Childhood of Famous Americans - Benjamin Franklin by Augusta Stevenson

Childhood of Famous Americans - Tom Jefferson by Helen Albee Monsell and illustrated by Ken Wagner

Childhood of Famous Americans - Molly Pitcher by Augusta Stevenson

Childhood of Famous Americans - Paul Revere by Augusta Stevenson

Childhood of Famous Americans - Betsy Ross by Ann Weil

Childhood of Famous Americans - George Washington by Augusta Stevenson and illustrated by Joseph E. Dreany

Childhood of Famous Americans - Martha Washington by Jean Brown Wagoner and illustrated by Leslie Goldstein