As the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence approaches, history teachers across the United States are working to make the nation's founding documents relevant while navigating a politically divided landscape. Among them is Karalee Wong Nakatsuka, a longtime teacher at First Avenue Middle School in Arcadia, California, who treasures two T-shirts with the slogan 'Created Equal'—one from the Museum of the American Revolution and another from Ford's Theatre. For Nakatsuka, the child of Chinese immigrants, the shirts highlight the nation's delayed promise of equality for African Americans. Her eighth-grade students, many of Asian descent, grapple with current issues like birthright citizenship and deportations, making the Declaration's ideals a central classroom topic.
Challenges in Teaching the Founding Documents
Teachers like Matthew Vriesman at East Kentwood High School in Michigan challenge students to question who the Declaration was originally for and who it serves today. With only 47% of adults able to identify why the 13 Colonies declared independence, and Gen Z showing troubling attitudes toward democracy, the anniversary underscores the need for robust civic education. A survey by iCivics found that over half of teachers find teaching civics concepts difficult, with nearly 60% fearing backlash. Emma Humphries, chief education officer of iCivics, noted, 'Civics teachers are not OK, and that stinks, no matter what year it is.'
Teaching Historical Empathy
In elementary classrooms, teachers like Samantha Dowis in Maple Shade, New Jersey, focus on engaging narratives rather than dry facts. Her fifth-graders toured the Museum of the American Revolution, thrilled by artifacts like George Washington's tent but still learning key details. Educators emphasize 'historical empathy,' using stories of everyday people such as Joseph Plumb Martin, a teenage soldier, or London Pleasants, an enslaved youth who joined Loyalist forces. The Digital History Group's Reading Like a Historian program uses primary sources to help students analyze conflicting accounts, such as who fired first at the Battle of Lexington.
Political Pressures and Patriotic Education
The anniversary arrives amid political tensions. President Donald Trump's executive order promoting 'patriotic education' and recent grants from the Department of Education aim to foster love of country. Meanwhile, the National Park Service removed panels on the slave trade at Philadelphia's President's House Site, leading to a lawsuit and a judge's order for reinstatement. Despite these pressures, teachers largely avoid partisan narratives. Brian Kisida of the University of Missouri found that 62% of teachers view the U.S. as 'a fundamentally good country,' and 82% emphasize teaching the Constitution's core values.
Student Perspectives on Founding Ideals
Students like Christina Le and Hawathiya Mulual at East Kentwood High School see the founders as flawed but important figures. Le, whose parents emigrated from Vietnam, values studying 'struggle and resistance' in history, while Mulual, a child of refugees, became interested in justice after the killing of George Floyd. Will Colglazier, a teacher in San Mateo, California, uses documents like Thomas Jefferson's letters on slavery to deepen understanding, noting that such details make history 'more real and interesting.'
Looking Forward
Ian Rowe of Vertex Partnership Academies in the Bronx advocates for teaching 'the whole story of our founding, warts and all,' highlighting how documents like the Declaration have enabled progress. His school recites the Preamble daily, emphasizing active participation in society. As the 250th anniversary nears, teachers continue to balance celebration with critical examination, ensuring students grasp both the ideals and the ongoing struggle to realize them.
