Author Archives: Eduflack

Why does history matter? Samantha Hunter-Gibbs, director of K-12 education at the White House Historical Association, explains in this thoughtful essay. I’m a public historian by training and now I primarily work as a museum education professional. My background as a public historian directly ties into why I think history matters. Simply put, history belongsContinue reading “Hunter-Gibbs: Why History Matters?”

Why does history matter? Dr. Michael P. Riccards, presidential historian and university president, explains in this thoughtful essay. The industrialist Henry Ford once declaimed, “History is bunk.”  Indeed, if he had read some history he would have known that his much touted anti-Semitic pamphlet “Protocols of Zion” was spurious and a Czarist hoax.  The role ofContinue reading “Riccards: Why History”

Why does history matter? Phil Bryant, the former Governor of Mississippi, explains in this thoughtful essay. As a former Professor of American Government, I was always delighted to see the subtle passion of a student who realized the true meaning of American History in their lives. It took some professorial effort to reach a twenty-something-year-oldContinue reading “Governor Bryant: Why History Matters”

Over on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, DFI CEO Patrick Riccards led a 40-minute segment on the state of American history instruction and the findings of DFI’s recent history knowledge survey. The full segment can be found here – https://www.c-span.org/video/?515363-5/washington-journal-patrick-riccards-discusses-efforts-facilitate-teaching-us-history-civics

Over at the Washington Examiner, Paul Bedard reports on the latest National research from the Driving Force Institute, focusing on how the average American doesn’t know Dwight Eisenhower was a general during World War II. Of course, today is Ike’s birthday. The full article can be found here: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/washington-secrets/on-ikes-birthday-many-are-clueless-about-general-president Happy reading!

Oct. 6, 2021 — During a time that saw an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the percentage of Americans who could pass the U.S. Citizenship Test is only 42%, but that still marks an increase of six points since advocates initially conducted the survey three years ago. The Driving Force Institute (DFI) says the factContinue reading “DFI: Most Americans Still Can’t Pass U.S. Citizenship Test”

Why does history matter? Dr. Gary Gallagher from the University of Virginia explains in this thoughtful essay. All American citizens should care about our history. We should care because an understanding of history is vital in a democratic republic that functions best with the type of informed citizenry the founding generation believed necessary for anyContinue reading “Gallagher: History is Vital”

The Driving Force Institute was privileged to talk with Dr. James McPherson, history professor emeritus at Princeton University, about why American history matters. Following is a summary of that discussion. DFI: What do you say to those who think history is irrelevant? Why does it indeed matter?  McPherson: The past is vitally connected to theContinue reading “An Interview With Pulitzer Prize Winner James McPherson”

Why does history matter? Despite the public events of recent months and years, too many Americans – particularly young people – believe that history isn’t relevant to their interests or their futures. At a time when all should be thinking like historians, too few see the value and need in learning history. In 2019, theContinue reading “The Start of Why History Matters”