American Patriots & Heroes

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When a nation turns its back on virtue and honor, those of its people who still hold those ideals in high regard seem to either voice their rage or lapse into sulky nostalgia for the "good old days." But rage only generates more rage, and the good old days (even if they were as great as everyone remembers) will never return. The only profitable response, then, is to remember and celebrate the heroes of the past as examples to imitate and guides toward the future.

Looking back to see ahead seems counterintuitive until you realize the current lack of genuine heroes in positions of political and legal authority. Not that there are none, but increasingly the leadership of the United States is less wise, less virtuous, and simply less fit to lead than has previously been the case. Whether this is because the American people are more apathetic and given to self-pleasure rather than goodness and stability, or because the quality of its leadership has declined, is unclear.

What is clear is that without a desire for virtue true patriotism is impossible—but without true patriotism a return to virtue is equally impossible. It's a vicious cycle....unless we uphold the honorable men and women of our nation's history as examples of good citizens and base our patriotism on their adherence to goodness and nobility.

Men like John Quincy Adams, who continued to serve as a U.S. Representative after his presidency expired, simply because he wanted to serve. Or Sgt. Alvin York, whose Christian pacificism led him to one of the most impressive examples of military heroism in the trenches of France during the First World War. Or Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, a Frenchman whose belief in American ideals led him to leave France in defiance of the king and enlist his services as a military commander in support of the Revolution.

Women like Mary McLeod Bethune, the daughter of former slaves who began a school for African-American students at a time when their education was considered of little importance. Or Mary Edwards Walker, the only woman to ever win the Medal of Honor (for services rendered in the American Civil War). Or the perennial favorite, Pocahontas, who converted to Christianity and married John Rolfe (and who may or may not have saved the life of the wild child John Smith, a notorious liar).

Of course none of these people were perfect, and not everything they did was good or worthwhile. We don't want to ignore their flaws. But we also don't want to dismiss them because they exhibited human characteristics and flaws. What we do want is to remember and learn from their virtues and self-sacrifice on behalf of their nation. Particularly, we want to pass this knowledge on to our children, who are our best hope for a return to goodness and a rejection of the shallowness and evil that pervades our society. This is the kind of patriotism we want to encourage, and the kind of national spirit such patriotism engenders.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

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American Patriots & Heroes

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	American Heroes of the 20th Century Landmark Giant #14 by Harold & Doris Faber from Random House for 5th-8th grade in Landmark Giants (Location: VIN-LAN) $12.00 (1 in stock)
	Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia Landmark Series by Margaret Cousins from Random House Biography for 5th-8th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $5.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Benjamin Franklin Live Wire Heroes of History by Geoff & Janet Benge from Emerald Books Biography for 4th-7th grade in Heroes of History (Location: BIO-BENGE) $11.99
	Bully for You, Teddy Roosevelt! by Jean Fritz from PaperStar Books Biography for 5th-8th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $7.99
	Captain Edward L. Beach: Around the World Under Water by Beril Becker from Kingston House for 6th-10th grade in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Captain John Smith A Foothold in the New World Heroes of History by Geoff & Janet Benge from Emerald Books for 4th-7th grade in Heroes of History (Location: BIO-BENGE) $11.99
	Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham from Houghton Mifflin Biography for 5th-9th grade 1956 Newbery Medal winner in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $9.99
	Charles A. Lindbergh A Human Hero by James Cross Giblin from Clarion Books Biography for 5th-8th grade 1998 NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book in Biographies (Location: BIO) $7.00 (2 in stock)
	Clara Barton Courage Under Fire Heroes of History by Geoff & Janet Benge from Emerald Books Biography for 4th-7th grade in Heroes of History (Location: BIO-BENGE) $11.99
	D'Aulaire American Biographies Package by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire from Beautiful Feet Books Biography for Kindergarten-8th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $106.82
	Daniel Boone His Own Story by Daniel Boone from Applewood Books Biography for 4th-8th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $14.95 $10.00 (1 in stock)
	Daniel Boone Frontiersman Heroes of History by Geoff & Janet Benge from Emerald Books Biography for 4th-7th grade in Heroes of History (Location: BIO-BENGE) $11.99
	Daniel Webster Sowers Series by Robert Allen from Mott Media Biography for 6th-8th grade in Sowers Biographies (Location: BIO-SOW) $8.99
	Davy Crockett His Own Story by David Crockett from Applewood Books Biography for 4th-8th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $14.95 $10.00 (1 in stock)
	Davy Crockett Ever Westward Heroes of History by Geoff & Janet Benge from Emerald Books Biography for 4th-7th grade in Heroes of History (Location: BIO-BENGE) $11.99
	Douglas MacArthur What Greater Honor Heroes of History by Geoff & Janet Benge from Emerald Books Biography for 4th-7th grade in Heroes of History (Location: BIO-BENGE) $11.99
	Freedom Train The Story of Harriet Tubman by Dorothy Sterling from Scholastic Inc. Biography for 4th-8th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $6.99
	Freedom's Children Young Civil Rights Activists Tell Their Own Stories by Ellen Levine from Penguin Putnam Biography for 4th-8th grade in Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968) (Location: HISA-20CIV) $7.99
	George Washington True Patriot Heroes of History by Geoff & Janet Benge from Emerald Books Biography for 4th-7th grade in Heroes of History (Location: BIO-BENGE) $11.99
	George Washington Carver Man's Slave Becomes God's Scientist Sowers Series by David Collins from Mott Media Biography for 5th-7th grade in Sowers Biographies (Location: BIO-SOW) $8.99
	George Washington Carver From Slave to Scientist Heroes of History by Geoff & Janet Benge from Emerald Books Biography for 4th-7th grade in Heroes of History (Location: BIO-BENGE) $11.99
	George Washington: Soldier and Man by North Callahan from William Morrow & Company for 7th-10th grade in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Great Little Madison by Jean Fritz from PaperStar Books Biography for 5th-8th grade 1990 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award in Biographies (Location: BIO) $7.99 $4.50 (2 in stock)
	Harriet Beecher Stowe and the Beecher Preachers by Jean Fritz from PaperStar Books Biography for 5th-8th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $6.99
	Harriet Tubman Freedombound Heroes of History by Geoff & Janet Benge from Emerald Books Biography for 4th-7th grade in Heroes of History (Location: BIO-BENGE) $11.99
	Helen Keller: The Story of My Life Signet Classics by Helen Keller Reprint from Signet Classics Autobiography for 7th-10th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $5.95
	Helen Keller: The Story of My Life by Helen Keller from Dover Publications Autobiography for 7th-10th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $1.50 (4 in stock)
	Jed Smith Trailblazer of the West by Frank Latham from Christian Liberty Press Biography for 4th-8th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $10.50 $6.00 (1 in stock)
	John Adams Independence Forever Heroes of History by Geoff & Janet Benge from YWAM Publishing Biography for 4th-7th grade in Heroes of History (Location: BIO-BENGE) $11.99
	John Hancock: A Signature Life by Philip Koslow from Franklin Watts for 4th-8th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	John Paul Jones The Pirate Patriot Sterling Point Books by Armstrong Sperry from Sterling Publishing Co. Biography for 5th-9th grade in War of 1812 (Location: HISA-19WET) $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Life of General Stonewall Jackson by Mary Williamson from Christian Liberty Press Biography for 7th-10th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $11.75 $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Life of George Washington by Mary Williamson from Christian Liberty Press Biography for 7th-10th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $11.75
	Life of J.E.B. Stuart by Mary Williamson 2^nd edition from Christian Liberty Press Biography for 7th-10th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $11.75
	Life of Washington In Words of One Syllable by Josephine Pollard from Beautiful Feet Books Biography for 3rd-8th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $10.95 $7.50 (1 in stock)
	Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman from Houghton Mifflin Biography for 5th-9th grade 1988 Newbery Medal winner in Biographies (Location: BIO) $8.00 (3 in stock)
	Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence A reprint of an 1848 original by Benson J. Lossing 3rd Printing from WallBuilder Press Biography for 7th-10th grade in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV) $5.00 (2 in stock)
	Louis Zamperini Redemption by Geoff & Janet Benge from Emerald Books for 4th-8th grade in Heroes of History (Location: BIO-BENGE) $11.99
	Luther the Leader by Virgil Robinson from A. B. Publishing, Inc. Biography for 5th-8th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $9.95 $4.00 (4 in stock)
	Martin Luther The Great Reformer by J. A. Morrison 2^nd edition from Christian Liberty Press Biography for 7th-10th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $10.50
	Martin Luther The Great Reformer by J. A. Morrison 3^rd edition from Christian Liberty Press Biography for 7th-10th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $11.75
	Meriwether Lewis Off the Edge of the Map Heroes of History by Geoff & Janet Benge from Emerald Books Biography for 4th-7th grade in Heroes of History (Location: BIO-BENGE) $11.99
	Poor Richard by James Daugherty from Beautiful Feet Books Biography for 6th-9th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $17.95
	Profiles in Courage Young Readers Memorial Edition by John F. Kennedy from HarperCollins Biography Anthology for 4th-8th grade 1957 Biography Pulitzer Prize in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Profiles in Courage (abridged) Young Readers Edition by John F. Kennedy, illustrated by Emil Weiss from HarperCollins Biography Anthology for 4th-8th grade 1957 Biography Pulitzer Prize in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS) $6.00 (2 in stock)
	Real Book about George Washington by Harold Coy, illustrated by Elinore Blaisdell from Garden City Books for 5th-8th grade in Real Books series (Location: VIN-RBA) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Salt in His Blood Life of Michael De Ruyter by William Rang from Inheritance Publications Biography for 5th-8th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $11.95 $7.00 (1 in stock)
	Sergeant York and the Great War His Own Life Story and War Diary by Alvin C. York from My Father's World Autobiography for 7th-Adult in World War I (1914-1919) (Location: HISA-20WW1) $22.00
	Sojourner Truth Ain't I a Woman? by Patricia & Frederick McKissack from Scholastic Inc. Biography for 4th-7th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $6.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Stonewall by Jean Fritz & Stephen Gammell from PaperStar Books Biography for 5th-8th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $6.99
	Theodore Roosevelt An American Original Heroes of History by Geoff & Janet Benge from Emerald Books Biography for 4th-7th grade in Heroes of History (Location: BIO-BENGE) $11.99
	Virginia's General Robert E. Lee and the Civil War by Albert Marrin from Beautiful Feet Books Biography for 7th-10th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $15.95 $10.00 (1 in stock)
	What Really Happened In Colonial Times A Collection of Historical Biographies by Terri Johnson, editor from Knowledge Quest Biographies for 4th-8th grade in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL) $9.00 (1 in stock)
	What Really Happened In Colonial Times A Collection of Historical Biographies by Terri Johnson, editor Revised from Knowledge Quest Biographies for 4th-8th grade in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL) $6.50 (1 in stock)
	William Bradford Plymouth's Faithful Pilgrim by Gary D. Schmidt from Eerdmans Biography for 7th-10th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $12.00 $7.50 (2 in stock)
	William Jennings Bryan Sowers Series by Robert Allen from Mott Media Biography for 7th-9th grade in Sowers Biographies (Location: BIO-SOW) $8.99
	William Penn Liberty and Justice for All Heroes of History by Geoff & Janet Benge from Emerald Books Biography for 4th-7th grade in Heroes of History (Location: BIO-BENGE) $11.99

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