    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [September 17, 2002]
    [Pages 1599-1601]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1599]]

    Remarks Announcing the Teaching American History and Civic Education
    Initiatives
    September 17, 2002

        Thank you all very much. Welcome to the Rose Garden. Thanks for
    getting up so early.
        I do want to appreciate David McCullough. It's an honor to be introduced by David McCullough. I
    appreciate his contribution to our Nation. He's made history come alive
    for millions of Americans. He's encouraged the teaching of history in
    our classrooms. He's made a lasting contribution to our Nation, and
    we're grateful for that contribution.
        It is fitting that on the anniversary of the signing of the
    Constitution, the three branches of our Government are represented here.
        Here in America, we see a broad renewal of American patriotism. And
    this is something to give thanks for; it really is. And it's something
    we must build on. To properly understand and love our country, we must
    know our country's history.
        Today I am announcing several initiatives that will improve
    students' knowledge of American history, increase their civic
    involvement, and deepen their love for our great country.
        I appreciate so very much Lynne Cheney,
    her--well, the fact she married a great Vice President, for starters. [Laughter] But she loves history. She has
    written books to encourage our children to understand history. Today
    she's hosting a celebration of the 215th anniversary of the U.S.
    Constitution at the Vice President's house; she kindly invited Laura to
    go.
        I appreciate Justice Anthony Kennedy for
    coming. Not only is he a great Supreme Court Justice, he cares about the
    community in which he lives. He's worked with the American Bar
    Association on what they call a Dialogue on Freedom, an initiative to
    foster discussions in our Nation's classrooms about American civic
    values. Thank you, Justice Kennedy, for that. [Applause] Delayed
    applause is better than no applause. [Laughter]
        I appreciate so very much our Secretary of Education, Rod
    Paige. Rod is a--he's a straightforward
    fellow who cares deeply about our children. When we say no child should
    be left behind, he means it. He's doing a great job. Mr. Secretary,
    thank you for coming.
        I do want to thank the Members of Congress who are here. I'm
    especially pleased that Senator Kennedy
    and Senator Gregg from the Senate have come.
    These two strange bedfellows worked together to pass one of the most
    comprehensive education reform plans in our Nation's history. They care
    deeply about our country. I'm honored that you two are here.
        And also two fine Members from the House of Representatives,
    Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner and
    Congressman Tim Roemer, we're honored that you're
    here. Thank you for coming. And thank you for your deep concern about
    our country and its future.
        I thank Bob Cole for being here, who's the
    Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. I thank John
    Carlin, who's the national Archivist, and
    Cathy Gorn, who's the executive director of
    National History Day. I thank Les Lenkowsky, who's the CEO of the Corporation for National and
    Community Service. I appreciate my friend Stephen Goldsmith, who's chairman of the board of directors of the
    Corporation for National and Community Service, for being here. And
    thank you all for coming.
        In the last year, in this last year of American history, we have
    witnessed acts of sacrifice and heroism, compassion and courage, unity
    and fierce determination. We have been reminded that we are citizens

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    with obligations to each other, to our country, and to our history.
        These examples are particularly important for our children. Children
    reflect the values they see in their parents and in their heroes. And
    this is how a culture can be strengthened and changed for the better.
        During the last year, our children have seen that lasting
    achievement in life comes through sacrifice and service. They've seen
    that evil is real but that courage and justice can triumph. They've seen
    that America is a force for good in the world, bringing hope and freedom
    to other people.
        In recent events, our children have witnessed the great character of
    America. Yet, they also need to know the great cause of America. They
    are seeing Americans fight for our country. They also must know why
    their country is worth fighting for.
        Our history is not a story of perfection. It's a story of imperfect
    people working toward great ideals. This flawed nation is also a really
    good nation, and the principles we hold are the hope of all mankind.
    When children are given the real history of America, they will also
    learn to love America.
        Our Founders believed the study of history and citizenship should be
    at the core of every American's education. Yet today, our children have
    large and disturbing gaps in their knowledge of history. Recent studies
    tell us that nearly one in five high school seniors think that Germany
    was an ally of the United States in World War II. Twenty-eight percent
    of eighth graders do not know the reasons why the Civil War was fought.
    One-third of fourth graders do not know what it means to ``pledge
    allegiance to the flag.'' Graduating seniors at some of our leading
    colleges and universities cannot correctly identify words from the
    Gettysburg Address or do not know that James Madison is the father of
    the Constitution.
        This is more than academic failure. Ignorance of American history
    and civics weakens our sense of citizenship. To be an American is not
    just a matter of blood or birth. We are bound by ideals, and our
    children must know those ideals.
        They should know about the nearly impossible victory of the
    Revolutionary War and the debates of the Constitutional Convention. They
    should know the meaning of the Declaration of Independence and how
    Abraham Lincoln applied its principles to flight--to fight slavery. Our
    children should know why Martin Luther King, Jr., was in a Birmingham
    city jail and why he wrote a magnificent letter from that place. Our
    children need to know about America's liberation of Europe during World
    War II and why the Berlin Wall came down. At this very moment, Americans
    are fighting in foreign lands for principles defined at our founding,
    and every American--particularly every American child--should fully
    understand these principles.
        The primary responsibility for teaching history and civics rests
    with our elementary and secondary schools, and they've got to do their
    job. The Federal Government can help, and today I'm announcing three new
    initiatives spearheaded by the USA Freedom Corps and designed to support
    the teaching of American history and civic education.
        The first initiative is called We the People--it will be
    administered by the National Endowment for the Humanities--which will
    encourage the teaching of American history and civic education. The
    program will provide grants to develop good curricula, hold training
    seminars for schoolteachers and university faculty, sponsor a lecture
    series in which acclaimed scholars like David McCullough will tell the story of great figures from American
    history, and enlist high school students in a national essay contest
    about the principles and ideals of America. We will use technology to
    share these important lessons with schools and communities throughout
    America.
        The Federal Government conserves and protects some of our greatest
    national treasures, and we need to make them more

    [[Page 1601]]

    readily available to Americans in their schools and local communities.
    Our second initiative is called Our Documents, an innovative project
    that will be run by the National Archives and the National History Day.
    This project will use the Internet to bring 100 of America's most
    important documents from the National Archives to classrooms and
    communities across the country, to provide lesson plans, and to foster
    competitions and discussions about these defining moments in our
    history.
        Students and their teachers will see documents online in their
    original form, well-known documents such as our Constitution or the
    Emancipation Proclamation or the Civil Rights Act of 1964. They will
    also see other important but less widely available documents, such as
    the Lee Resolution, which first proposed independence for American
    colonies, and Jefferson's secret message to Congress regarding the
    exploration of the West.
        Third, early next year we will convene a White House Forum on
    American History, Civics, and Service. We will discuss new policies to
    improve the teaching of history and civics in elementary and secondary
    schools and in our colleges and universities. We will hear from
    educators and scholars about ways to better monitor students'
    understanding of American history and civics and how to make more of our
    great national treasures--how to make them more accessible and more
    relevant to the lives of our students.
        American children are not born knowing what they should cherish--are
    not born knowing why they should cherish American values. A love of
    democratic principles must be taught.
        A poet once said, ``What we have loved, others will love, and we
    will teach them how.'' We love our country, and we must teach our
    children to do the same. And when we do, they will carry on our heritage
    of freedom into the future.
        Thank you all for coming.

    Note: The President spoke at 8:42 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to historian David McCullough; and
    Bruce Cole, Chairman, National Endowment for the Humanities.