Partisanship and rancor are not new. We have not fallen from some republican ideal into a new style of debauchery. Our political battles have been hard-fought and hard-won right from the very beginning.

Who's responsible for instilling in our young people an appreciation for history and citizenship? Many of us -- teachers, educators, and members of the public alike -- are very concerned about the demise of social studies.

Americans have forgotten the reason why we educate children in America. As a result our children, schools, communities, and the nation are suffering.

Citizens must explore these American history stories to understand our revolutionary ideals and how those ideals help us understand our responsibility as 21st-century citizens of the American republic.