10 Things Everyone Should Know About American History - Foreword

Oct 15, 2026

An introduction and foreword argue that civic education in the United States is undermined by Americans’ weakening historical memory. It cites survey findings showing many college-educated people cannot answer basic questions about U.S. government and the Founding, and links this to declining confidence in institutions. The text describes a conference convened to strengthen civics curricula, then frames memory and history as essential to personal identity and national survival, using Alzheimer’s disease as an analogy.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages36

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Purpose of general education and shared historical knowledge

Evidence of declining civic literacy

Conference and the keynote essay

Foreword by Wilfred M. McClay

Memory, identity, and civilization

Alzheimer’s as an analogy for historical forgetting

10 Things Everyone Should Know About American History by Allen Guelzo The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) is an independent nonprofit committed to academic freedom, academic excellence, and accountability at America’s colleges and universities. Founded in 1995, ACTA is the only national organization dedicated to working with alumni, donors, trustees, and education leaders across the United States to support liberal arts education, uphold high academic standards, safeguard the free exchange of ideas on campus, and ensure that the next generation receives an intellectually rich, highquality college education at an affordable price. Our network consists of alumni and trustees from nearly 1,300 colleges and universities, including over 23,000 current board members. Our quarterly newsletter, Inside Academe, reaches more than 13,000 readers. © American Council of Trustees and Alumni 2020. All rights reserved. 10 Things Everyone Should Know About American History s by Allen Guelzo Foreword by Wilfred M. McClay Published by American Council of Trustees and Alumni April 2020 This Project Was Made Possible Through Funds Donated in Honor of James H. McGraw (b. 1860, d. 1948) Founder, McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Introduction hen a committee of the Harvard faculty recommended in 1945 that ervacery,yitudartiecnut tlatakede caouratsesonln Wee thaterren Csonvteilsizateveionnmanord te phoe Amwerfuelrlicyan today. The aptly titled report, General Education in a Free Society, explained that universities are responsible to cultivate a shared sense of purpose in the citizenry. That means teaching citizens what they have in common: our history, the political principles our institutions were designed to perpetuate, and the challenges that remain for posterity to confront. The breakdown in civic discourse so apparent today—no less than declining public confidence in American institutions—is the sad consequence of Americans’ vanishing historical memory. Every year brings new evidence to document the crisis. In 2019, an ACTA-commissioned National Opinion Research Center survey revealed that college-educated Americans barely outperform the general population. The questions were basic: Who is the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court? What are the term lengths ofU.S. Senators and Representatives? Who is the “Father of the Constitution”? In response to the last question, elemental to even a rudimentary understanding of the American Founding, only 18% of college graduates correctly identified “James Madison.” The grim reality is that our colleges and universities are failing to prepare graduates for responsible citizenship. Most scarcely bother to try. Today, only 18% of U.S. colleges and universities require students to complete a foundational course in U.S. government or history. That is why ACTA convened a conference at Eastern University in April 2019 to discuss the state of civics education and steps trustees can take to improve the curricula at the institutions they lead. Dr. Allen Guelzo, one of the country’s leading historians, gave an inspiring keynote address, “10 Things Everyone Should Know About American History,” which is reproduced in the pages that follow. Seeing to it that every American undergraduate learns at least this much about her country’s history is the urgent first step toward a rebirth of civic literacy. Governing boards and state legislatures can lead by requiring students to take a course that explores the topics Dr. Guelzo’s essay overviews. That way, when fireworks light up the sky on July 4, 2026, Americans will understand why they are celebrating the Sestercentennial of the Declaration of Independence. Securing the blessings of liberty for our posterity, and a republican form of government for the next 250 years, depends on it. Dr. Michael Poliakoff President, ACTA Foreword by Wilfred M. McClay Alzheimer’s disease is perhaps the most dreaded affliction

FAQs

What problem does the introduction describe about civic education in the U.S.?

It describes a decline in Americans’ historical memory and civic knowledge, leading to poor understanding of U.S. history and government among graduates.

What evidence is cited to show reduced historical literacy?

A survey commissioned by ACTA reports that college-educated Americans barely outperform the general population on basic questions, including identifying key Founding figures.

How does the foreword connect memory to national survival?

It argues that, just as losing memory harms individual identity, losing historical consciousness endangers civilizations, making them vulnerable and unable to connect past, present, and future.

Oct 15, 2026

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