Hillsdale College -- Where Historical Truth Is Not Distorted

As I write you, here at Hillsdale College, our students are home and unable to return due to the coronavirus.

We have a tight-knit community with a common mission and a shared purpose here at Hillsdale. It is a community of a kind rare today in American higher education, and we will not allow it to be lost for any reason.

Nor will we lose sight of the fact that the activity of teaching and learning that goes on here is vital to the nation. Allow me to tell you why.

There’s a unique feature on Hillsdale College’s campus called the Liberty Walk—a brick path guiding visitors past over-life-size statues of historic champions of liberty.

In front of my office building is a statue of George Washington. Inscribed on its base is a quote from John Adams, spoken after Washington’s death:

“[Washington’s] example is complete,” Adams said, “and it will teach wisdom and virtue to magistrates, citizens, and men, not only in the present age, but in future generations, as long as our history shall be read.”

Not that long ago, Americans couldn’t have imagined a day when our nation’s great history ceased to be read. Today, sadly, it is no longer hard to imagine.

I’ve recently written to you about the state of American K-12 education—about how it’s been in decline for decades, even as more and more tax dollars have been thrown at it.

I’ve also written to you about The New York Times’ “1619 Project,” a project aimed at subverting the teaching of history in American elementary and high schools nationwide. One of its key claims is that America was founded in 1619, the year the first slave arrived, rather than in 1776 when we declared independence from England and proclaimed that “all men are created equal.”

In other words, according to the “1619 Project,” the central feature of America is not freedom, but slavery.

Given the biased and dishonest ideology prevalent in our colleges, universities, and increasingly our K-12 schools, is it a surprise that so many young Americans feel less of a patriotic attachment to their country? Instead, they are increasingly attracted—out of ignorance—to ideas like socialism that are destructive of liberty.

Ronald Reagan, who also has a statue on Hillsdale’s Liberty Walk, once said: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” What Reagan meant is that it is not enough to pass liberty on to the next generation—we must also prepare that generation to preserve and pass on liberty themselves.

We are failing at that duty if we do nothing to combat the teaching of biased and distorted history to young Americans.

That’s why I hope you’ll help Hillsdale promote our newest free online course, “The Great American Story: A Land of Hope,” to millions of Americans—especially younger Americans—nationwide.

This course, taught by Dr. Wilfred McClay, presents a full and unbiased account of America’s past, providing a powerful counterweight to “fake history” such as The New York Times’ “1619 Project.”

Hillsdale College produced this new online course in the belief that a proper understanding of America’s great heritage of liberty is essential to intelligent patriotism, which is itself essential to preserving free government.

As you know, we produce these online courses, as we do all of our work, while refusing to accept ONE PENNY of government support—not even indirectly in the form of federal or state student grants or loans. NOT. ONE. PENNY.

This independence frees us from volumes of burdensome federal regulation, but it also means that all of our work—including our national outreach efforts on behalf of liberty—is entirely dependent on the support of private citizens, like you, who understand the importance of education to liberty.

So, will you please consider helping Hillsdale promote “The Great American Story: A Land of Hope” with a generous tax-deductible gift?

We have set an ambitious goal to invest in the promotion of the new free online course, as well as to advance Hillsdale’s other educational outreach efforts on behalf of liberty.

Your generous gift today will ensure that this new online course has maximum impact and reach—especially among younger Americans—as well as supporting Hillsdale’s other national outreach efforts on behalf of liberty.

You can make your tax-deductible gift using this secure, convenient link:

https://secured.hillsdale.edu/…/support-great-american-story

Thank you for your partnership in setting the record straight about America’s great heritage of liberty.

Warm regards,

Larry P. Arnn
President, Hillsdale College
Pursuing Truth—Defending Liberty since 1844

  For decades now, too many of America’s high schools and colleges, under the domination of the “progressive” Left, have been pushing a biased and distorted narrative of America as essentially unjust.It is no wonder, then, that increasing numbers of young Americans today are embracing social...

SECURED.HILLSDALE.EDU

Support The Great American Story | Hillsdale College

  For decades now, too many of America’s high schools and colleges, under the domination of the “progressive” Left, have been pushing a biased and distorted narrative of America as essentially unjust.It is no wonder, then, that increasing numbers of young Americans today are embracing social...