American Patriots & Heroes

Store Location

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.

Did you find this review helpful?

Parent Categories

Fiction & Literature

Biographies

Biography by Type of Person

American Patriots & Heroes

47 Items found Print

Active Filters:

2nd grade (Ages 7-8)

	America's Paul Revere by Esther Forbes from Sandpiper Books Biography for 2nd-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $12.99
	And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? by Jean Fritz & Margot Tomes from PaperStar Books Biography for 2nd-4th grade in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV) $7.99
	And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? by Jean Fritz & Margot Tomes from Scholastic Inc. Biography for 2nd-4th grade in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV) $2.00 (1 in stock)
	Ben Franklin See and Read: Beginning to Read Biography by Estelle Friedman, illustrated by James Caraway from G.P. Putnam's Sons for 1st-3rd grade in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS) $12.00 (1 in stock)
	Benjamin Franklin Printer and Patriot Makers of America by Ruth Cromer Weir, illustrated by Rus Anderson from Abingdon Press for 2nd-4th grade in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Captain John Paul Jones America's Fighting Seaman by Ronald Syme from William Morrow & Company for 1st-3rd grade in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
	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 by Carol Greene from Children's Press for Preschool-3rd Grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Davy Crockett Hero of the Alamo by Sanford Tousey 3rd Printing 1955 from Albert Whitman & Company for 2nd-5th grade in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
	George Washington's Breakfast by Jean Fritz from PaperStar Books Biography for 1st-4th grade in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV) $6.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	George Washington: America's Patriot Heroes of History for Young Readers by Renee Meloche from Emerald Books for Preschool-3rd grade in Heroes for Young Readers (Location: BIO-HERO)
	Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King by Jean Marzollo, illustrated by J. Brian Pinkney 2006^th edition from Scholastic Inc. for Preschool-2nd grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Helen Keller by Margaret Davidson from Scholastic Inc. Biography for 2nd-5th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $5.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
	How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning by Rosalyn Schanzer from HarperCollins for 2nd-4th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $5.00 (1 in stock)
	If You Lived at the Time of Martin Luther King by Ellen Levine Updated from Scholastic Inc. Historical Non-Fiction for 2nd-5th grade in Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968) (Location: HISA-20CIV) $4.50 (2 in stock)
	John Alden Young Puritan by Olive W. Burt from Bobbs-Merril Co Biography for 2nd-4th grade in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
	John Paul Jones A Discovery Book by Stewart Graff, illustrated by William Hutchinson from Garrard Publishing Company for 2nd-5th grade in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
	John Paul Jones Heroes of the Revolution by Susan & John Lee, illustrated by Tom Dunnington from Children's Press for 2nd-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO)
	John, Paul, George & Ben by Lane Smith 1^st edition from Hyperion/Madison Press for Preschool-3rd grade in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH) $9.00 (1 in stock)
	Kit Carson Trailblazer and Scout by Shannon Garst from Julian Messner Biography for 1st-3rd grade in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
	Lafayette, Friend of America Makers of America by Alberta Powell Graham 1^st edition from Abingdon Press for 2nd-5th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO)
	Martin Luther King Day by Linda Lowery from Scholastic Inc. Biography for 1st-2nd grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $1.50 (1 in stock)
	Meet George Washington Step Up Books by Joan Heilbroner from Random House Biography for 1st-4th grade in Step Up Books (Location: VIN-STEP)
	Meet Martin Luther King, Jr. Second Series Landmark / Step Up reprints by James T. de Kay from Random House Books for Young Readers for 1st-3rd grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $4.99
	Meet Thomas Jefferson by Marvin Barrett from Random House for Preschool-3rd grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $1.50 (3 in stock)
	One Giant Leap The Story of Neil Armstrong by Don Brown from Houghton Mifflin Biography for 1st-3rd grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $6.95
	Patrick Henry The Founding Fathers by Stuart A. Kallen from ABDO Publishing Co. for 2nd-5th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Paul Revere First Biographies by Jan Gleiter and Kathleen Thompson, Illustrated by Francis Balistreri from Steck-Vaughn Company for 1st-3rd grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Picture Book of Davy Crockett by David Adler from Holiday House Picture Book Biography for 2nd-4th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $7.99
	Picture Book of Davy Crockett by David Adler from Holiday House Picture Book Biography for 2nd-4th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO)
	Picture Book of George Washington by David A. Adler 1^st edition from Holiday House for Preschool-3rd grade in Biographies (Location: BIO)
	Picture Book of Paul Revere by Alexandra Wallner, David A. Adler, John Wallner 1^st edition from Holiday House for Preschool-3rd grade in Clearance: Biographies (Location: ZCLE-BIO)
	Poor Richard in France by F. N. Monjo from Henry Holt and Company for 2nd-5th grade in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS) $7.50 (1 in stock)
	Quit Pulling My Leg! A Story of David Crockett by Robert Quackenbush from Aladdin Paperbacks for 2nd-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO)
	Sam and John Adams Heroes of the Revolution by Susan and John Lee from Children's Press for 2nd-6th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans by Edward Eggleston from Yesterday's Classics Narrative History for 1st-4th grade in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH) $11.95
	Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans by Edward Eggleston from Lost Classics Book Co. Narrative History for 1st-4th grade in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH) $10.00 (1 in stock)
	Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans by Edward Eggleston 2015 Reprint from Martino Fine Books Narrative History for 1st-4th grade in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH) $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans by Edward Eggleston 2^nd edition from Memoria Press Narrative History for 1st-4th grade in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH) $14.65
	Thomas Jefferson A Picture Book Biography by James Cross Giblin from Scholastic Inc. for Preschool-3rd grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	What Makes the Light Bright, Thomas Edison by Melvin Berger from Scholastic Inc. for 2nd-3rd grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $4.99
	What's So Great About Francis Scott Key by Marylou Morano Kjelle from Mitchell Lane Publishers for 2nd-5th grade in Biographies (Location: BIO) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Where Was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May? by Jean Fritz & Margot Tomes from PaperStar Books Biography for 2nd-4th grade in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV) $7.99
	Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams? by Jean Fritz from PaperStar Books Biography for 2nd-4th grade in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV) $6.99
	Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams? by Jean Fritz from Scholastic Inc. Biography for 2nd-4th grade in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
	Will You Sign Here, John Hancock? by Jean Fritz from PaperStar Books Biography for 2nd-4th grade in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV) $6.99
	Will You Sign Here, John Hancock? by Jean Fritz from Scholastic Inc. Biography for 2nd-4th grade in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV) $2.00 (1 in stock)

Shop

Support

Hours & Directions

Connect