There is a whole lot that is wrong with public education. Students are no longer being taught reading, writing, and arithmetic, but being indoctrinated into leftist ideology. They are also not being taught American history and basic civics. But one prominent American is doing his part to inspire the next generation to learn the history of America and why that history makes us the greatest nation in the world, along with some valuable lessons in civics.
Gorsuch Urges Americans To Take Self-Governance Seriously https://t.co/ic3DQJzrnK pic.twitter.com/pYxL1NAzbG
— ForthRight Strategy (@ForthRightStrat) May 7, 2026
It's that sharp decline in young people's knowledge of how and why America was founded, and our form of government, that prompted Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch to write "Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration." The book is aimed at both school-aged kids and adults. During a recent interview promoting the book, Gorsuch gave some startling figures:
"Only about 13% of kids today in eighth grade are proficient in American history — [and just] 22% in civics. Six out of 10 adults would fail our citizenship test."
READ MORE: If Civics Disappears, What Happens to the Republic?
Gorsuch added that those numbers reveal a lack of basic knowledge about the country of Americans, both young and old, that is "deeply" concerning. It's a cause that Gorsuch began working on before he became a Supreme Court Justice. Gorsuch added that much of his inspiration for the book came from former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who founded a civics non-profit after her time on the nation's highest court. Gorsuch said of O'Connor and her work,
"As she was leaving the court, she reflected that civic education in this country is a problem. And for a lot of reasons, it's simply not being taught anymore."
Gorsuch offered up some other disturbing facts. In 2019, only one-third of Americans could name all three branches of government. He stated that this was concerning, given the fact that all three branches "interact" and "check" one another against overreach.
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State…”
— Bryan LaFonte (@bryanlafonte) May 5, 2026
From Justice Gorsuch’s new children’s book pic.twitter.com/Ledxoo99px
The goal of the book, featuring the stories of those who were involved in the nation's founding and the Revolutionary War, including many young people, is to inspire today's young Americans by highlighting those stories, especially in the year of America's 250th birthday. By today's standards, some of America's first revolutionaries were pretty young. James Monroe was just 18, Alexander Hamilton was 21, James Madison was 25, and Thomas Jefferson was 33.
We know why American history and civics are no longer taught in public schools. The agenda of the teachers' unions is not for students to be knowledgeable in history and civics, but in climate change, transgender issues, and why America is inherently a racist nation. They know that if kids are taught about history or civics, it will be that much harder to indoctrinate them on left-wing ideology and hate the country.
ALSO READ: How Much Confidence Do Americans Have in the Supreme Court? A New Poll Says Not Much
Gorsuch said that history and civics education isn't a left- or right-issue for him and his fellow justices. He added, "If you polled the nine of us in our conference room, one thing we could all agree on is the importance of learning American history."
That agreement among the justices on Americans' knowledge of history and civics is encouraging. Neil Gorsuch summed it up, saying, "Because how else are you going to carry this thing forward? Somebody has to run the zoo."
Justice Neil Gorsuch: “We’re a creedal nation. What unites us is not a religion, not a race, it’s a belief in those ideas in the Declaration of Independence.” pic.twitter.com/SbUWO1BajM
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) May 6, 2026
Editor's Note: President Trump is fighting to ensure America's kids get the education they deserve.
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