OPINION: By Dr. Jennifer London
As November arrives, much of our country is absorbed in the fervor of election season.
Yet this month holds another purpose worth our attention: National American History and Founders Month, established by presidential proclamation four years ago. It’s a moment to reflect on the founders and the principles that shaped our nation, even as figures such as Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln are increasingly caught in the crossfire of modern debate.
Today’s assessments of their lives often reduce them to a single dimension, but the founders deserve a balanced understanding — one that honors their ideals while acknowledging the contradictions they embodied.
This year’s political landscape is more polarized than ever. The 2024 presidential campaign reveals deep ideological divides and a growing disconnect over America’s identity. Debates over statues and curricula and the acknowledgment — or rejection — of our forefathers’ legacies highlight a troubling trend: an inclination to sever our national story from its roots rather than reconcile with it.
Since the civil unrest of 2020, statues of America’s founders have been defaced, removed or hidden. The push to dismantle these monuments reflects discomfort with their flaws, particularly their ties to slavery. Critics argue that celebrating these men endorses the darker aspects of their legacies.
Yet such reasoning overlooks their profound contributions to the birth of a nation built on liberty and justice. Washington and Jefferson, for instance, owned slaves — a fact that cannot and should not be ignored. But these men also introduced revolutionary ideals of self-governance and the pursuit of happiness that inspired generations and ultimately paved the way to a free and fairer society. Lincoln preserved the Union and pushed the nation toward emancipation.
Their contributions deserve reflection — not in place of criticism but in balance with it.
Grappling with our past, in all its complexity, is essential to genuine progress. Removing the founders from our consciousness strips America of a crucial anchor. If we lose sight of those who conceived of liberty, albeit imperfectly, we risk losing the ideals they left us.
George Washington believed that Americans, as free and rational people, could determine our own destiny through reflection, discussion and debate while reminding us that “Infallibility not being the attribute of Man, we ought to be cautious in censuring the opinions and conduct of one another.”
In the spirit of November’s observances, as Veterans Day and Thanksgiving invite reflection and gratitude, we should remember that history is rarely clear-cut. Acknowledging the founders’ flaws does not require erasing them from our consciousness; it calls for an even view that celebrates their contributions while recognizing their failures.
Today’s tendency to judge historical figures solely by contemporary standards risks limiting our ability to learn from our full, uncensored past. The founders’ idea of a self-governing nation remains empowering and challenging. We need these shared principles now more than ever.
November should be a time for collective reflection on America’s complex yet powerful legacy. It should be a month to teach all Americans, especially the next generation, about the ideals underpinning our democracy and the compromises these men made.
Recognizing the founders’ flaws doesn’t diminish their achievements; it provides an honest perspective that can guide us forward. This season of reflection is why National American History and Founders Month matters so much amid the clamor of election season. Understanding the founders is more than a history lesson; it equips us with an appreciation for the aspirations that set our nation apart.
Washington, our first president, considered it his solemn duty to unify the new nation by emphasizing citizens’ shared beliefs, hopes and values.
“Be Americans,” he said. “Let there be no sectionalism, no North, South, East or West. You are all dependent on one another and should be one in union. In one word, be a nation. Be Americans and be true to yourselves.”
As we confront the challenges of the 21st century, we need a clear grasp of the principles that propelled us here. Recognizing the founders’ flaws doesn’t diminish their achievements; it provides an honest perspective that can guide us forward.
This November, let us honor the full legacy of those who established the United States, remembering that defending their contributions means defending the values that make America worth preserving.
• Jennifer London is founder and president of the National American History and Founders Month Organization.
