History Worth Preserving
On July 4, 2026, we celebrated 250 years of the greatest experiment in self-governance the world has ever known—the United States of America. From the thirteen original colonies to the fifty states, one federal district, and several territories we know today, our nation's history is nothing if not storied.
From hardship to triumph, oppression to freedom, and everything in between, what makes our nation great is our ability to acknowledge how far we have come. It is our willingness to reflect on our history while also celebrating all that we have achieved.
America's history should never be viewed through an overly idealistic lens, nor through an ideology that reduces it to little more than a catalog of sins. A recent report from the White House’s Domestic Policy Council has found one of America's premier institutions, the National Museum of American History, has miserably failed to present our nation’s history objectively. According to the report, the museum’s leadership has increasingly presented America's past through a pessimistic lens, replacing balanced historical interpretation with ideological advocacy.
The report raises an important question: What is the true purpose of history?
By definition, history is a written or otherwise documented account of past events. It is not a perfected retelling designed to make us feel good, nor is it a selective narrative crafted to make us feel ashamed. History is an honest account of what happened, examined as truthfully and objectively as possible.
During the dedication ceremony for the National Museum of American History in January 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson captured that purpose perfectly, "The more we understand the meaning of the past," he said, "the more we appreciate the winning of the future." He continued, "If this Museum did nothing more than illuminate our heritage so that others could see a little better our legacy, however so small the glimpse, it would fulfill a noble purpose."
That noble purpose was never to portray America as flawless. Neither was it to portray our nation as one defined primarily by regret, tragedy, and shame. Rather, it was to tell the American story honestly—its victories and failures alike—so future generations could better understand the country they inherited.
History demands honesty. It requires us to confront slavery, segregation, discrimination, and every chapter in which America fell short of its founding ideals. Those stories deserve to be told, and they should never be hidden.
But honesty also requires that we tell the rest of the story.
It requires us to remember the generations who expanded liberty, defended freedom, abolished slavery, secured civil rights, advanced scientific discovery, defeated tyranny abroad, and continually worked to build a more perfect Union. To remember only our failures is no more truthful than remembering only our triumphs.
There is nothing shameful about loving one's country. Patriotism does not require believing America has always been perfect. It requires believing America is worth preserving, improving, and passing on to the next generation.
Loving America is not complicated. It is an acknowledgment that, despite our imperfections, the United States remains the greatest experiment in self-governance the world has ever known. It is the only nation where those who criticize it most fiercely remain free to do so because of the liberties protected by its Constitution. That is not a contradiction, but one of America's greatest strengths.
If our history is to mean anything, it should inspire gratitude as much as reflection. We owe it to ourselves—and to future generations—to tell America's story honestly so we not only honor our past, but strengthen our future.