Educating our kids history will help them to be able to fight for our liberties that we have here in America.
We educate our children to equip them to become responsible adults, to be able to support their families, and to be productive members of society.
But if our children grow up to have good-paying careers, yet their income is taxed so heavily that they can't keep enough money in their own pockets to provide for their families; or their employers are so taxed and regulated that the business has to close its doors; or government interference in the home is so invasive and intrusive that they're not allowed to raise their children in accordance with their beliefs, what then?
Whether you like politics or not, what happens in our government every day has an enormous impact on our lives and the liberties we enjoy. And we can choose to either sit back and just let whatever happens happen — and suffer the consequences — or we can do something about it.
So how do we protect our liberties?
According to Thomas Jefferson, one answer is education.
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
"Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights."
"The most effectual means of preventing [the perversion of power into tyranny are] to illuminate, as far as practicable, the minds of the people at large, and more especially to give them knowledge of those facts which history exhibits, that possessed thereby of the experience of other ages and countries, they may be enabled to know ambition under all its shapes, and prompt to exert their natural powers to defeat its purposes."
A study of history, so often relegated to a second-class subject in schools, is of the utmost importance. A good understanding of world history and a study of our own nation's foundational principles help to enlighten us about how the world works. How different types of governments work (or don't work). How people work.
When our children make a mistake, but then they don't learn from the experience and make the same mistake again and again, we admonish them don't we?
How are we as a people any different?
As George Santayana said: "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
Learning about history and political mistakes that have been made in the past will help our children know how and for what to fight for our liberties.
So how are your history studies coming? Have you read the Magna Carta lately? The writings of James Madison or Thomas Jefferson? The Constitution?
Props, Joy, for being bold in your writing and taking initiative with your children's education in this area. I recently (over the last year; it is slow goings with 5 under 7) have been studying Thomas Jefferson. He had a lot of foresight and wisdom in the areas of liberty and government! Our family is just now moving into this time period in history. I am excited for the opportunity to lay the ground work for these sorts of discussions over the coming years.
We're working history into our family fun nights and so far the kids are really enjoying it!
I completely agree. Another reason to encourage life-long learning in our children; I'm finding that, when it comes to our country's history and the legacy of our founding fathers, I am learning something new every day. And I daresay this learning did not begin until I left public school education…