As America commemorates the 225th anniversary of the United
States Constitution on Monday, there are alarming signs we face
a growing national historical amnesia that endangers the well-
being of America’s legacy of liberty and self-government. The
latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (2010) found
that 55 percent of America’s high school seniors did not meet
even a “basic” attainment level in American history. The
American Council of Trustees and Alumni found that 81 percent of
seniors at our nation’s “top 55” colleges received a “D” or “F”
on a basic high-school level test on U.S. history. Other
credible national studies confirm a troubling historical and
civic illiteracy. Why does this matter? First, American history
is our national memory. History is made of the stories of
America’s extraordinary quest for liberty. Through history we
learn of the founding values — the self-evident truths — found
in our Declaration of Independence: that life and liberty are
endowments vested in each human being