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Abraham Lincoln's Birthday and Legacy
Will Erasing History 'Form a More Perfect Union'?
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The legacy of Abraham Lincoln has fallen on hard times.
Today, February 12, marks the 16th president's birthday, 212 years ago. In times of division and disunity, many have turned to Lincoln as a beacon of hope, remembering his powerful words to a wounded nation in search of a "just and lasting peace".
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And yet, his legacy has reemerged as a topic of controversy. There are calls for the removal of Lincoln's name, and the names of American founders, from public institutions altogether, citing such reasons as connections to slavery, mistreatment of Native Americans, or various other forms of oppression.
History is as complicated as the men and women who make it. How, then, do we celebrate the achievements of an imperfect past and imperfect people?
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Lincoln thought about this question often. How would history perceive his actions to preserve the American experiment—or, in his words, "the last best hope on earth"?
Conscious of his own capacity for error and the dark stain of slavery on the nation, Lincoln anticipated America's complicated relationship with history.
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He sent a message to Congress one month before signing the Emancipation Proclamation, writing, "We cannot escape history. We ... will be remembered in spite of ourselves."
Nevertheless, Lincoln felt confident that our devotion to America's founding ideals—most notably that all men are created equal—would carry the nation through its darkest days.
Equality and Justice for Whom?
The principles the framers enshrined in our founding documents have led us through many dark periods since Lincoln's days. And great figures in our history—as flawed as they were—moved our nation forward.
Just as Lincoln was imperfect, he was also the president who finally ended slavery, something our founders and 15 former presidents failed to do.
Suppressing or erasing history will not resolve injustices. Such actions only galvanize intolerance and sharpen disunity. Equality and justice are not causes of one party or sect, but shared principles that unite us as Americans.
America remains the land of hope and new beginnings. We are a stronger nation when we recognize our successes and learn from our failures—both are integral parts of our history.
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The battle for the soul of our nation will be won or lost in our classrooms.™ —Jack Miller
JMC is proud of our success so far in educating students about our founding principles and history. But there is still much work to be done.
At this moment, schools around the country are banning classic texts, promoting false narratives about America, and disparaging our history or omitting it altogether. Spurring anti-American sentiment among our young people has grave implications for our country.
Consider a tax-deductible gift to the Jack Miller Center. Your donation, large or small, is an investment in the future of our country—for you, for your children, for your grandchildren.
We cannot win this battle without your support. Will you join us in the effort?
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About the Jack Miller Center
The Jack Miller Center is a 501(c)(3) public charity with the mission to reinvigorate education in America's founding principles and history. We work to advance the teaching and study of America's history, its political and economic institutions, and the central principles, ideas and issues arising from the American and Western traditions—all of which continue to animate our national life.
We support professors and educators through programs, resources, fellowships and more to help them teach our nation's students.
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