10 American Founding Myths

Perhaps the most mythologized event in US history is our founding. Myths lend identity, so of course the beginning of our history is the greatest target. Of course, that's a recipe for misconceptions. The founding of this Republic is not only ripe for misinformation, but outright disinformation, as everyone wants to see themselves in the founders especially at the first of their political enemies. But it's time to dispel ten of the most common myths. Errata: Washington first acknowledged the name "town-destroyer" in 1755 b/c of his great-grandfather and Charles Brant later applied the name to the Sullivan Expedition (thx TheAlexSchmidt) ------------------------------------------------------------ Bibliography David Armitage, “The Declaration of Independence and International Law,” William and Mary Quarterly 59 (January 2002): 39-64. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3491637 Bernard Bailyn, The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution (Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2017). https://amzn.to/3SSu5Bp Steven K. Green, Inventing a Christian America: The Myth of the Religious Founding (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015). https://amzn.to/38DvnxC Michael D. Hattem, “The Historiography of the American Revolution,” Journal of the American Revolution (27 August 2013). https://allthingsliberty.com/2013/08/... Gwenda Morgan, The Debate on the American Revolution (Manchester, N.York: Manchester University Press, 2007). https://amzn.to/38Bn7hW Andrew M. Schocket, Fighting over the Founders: How We Remember the American Revolution (New York: New York University Press, 2015). https://amzn.to/2NQV7b3 A Companion to the American Revolution, eds. Jack P. Greene and J.R. Pole (New York: Blackwell Publishers, 2000). https://amzn.to/2VMs4s0 Myth America: Historians Take On the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past, edited by Kevin M. Kruse and Julian E. Zelizer (New York: Basic Books, 2022). https://amzn.to/3J5XsNP ------------------------------------------------------------ Connected videos • 3:18 unitarians:    • The Rise and Fall of Unitarianism in America   • 4:45 2nd great awakening:    • Religion Revived : The Second Great Awaken...   • 9:07 England vs. France:    • Why England and France Fought for a Millen...   • 9:07 Britain vs. France:    • Why Britain and France Fought for a Millen...   • 13:11 Lost cause myth:    • Understanding the Lost Cause Myth   • 13:41 Nationalism:    • Nationalism Began in the 19th Century (fea...   • 17:40 How revolutionary?    • How Revolutionary was the American Revolut...   • 19:11 US influence on French Revolution:    • American Influence on the French Revolutio...   • 24:01 Sectional Crisis lecture:    • Sectional Crisis : Fighting Slavery's Expa...   • 27:54 Neoliberalism:    • Neoliberalism | US Political Polarization   ------------------------------------------------------------ SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE VIDEOS: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_c... Support the channel through PATREON:   / cynicalhistorian   or by purchasing MERCH: https://cynical-historian-shop.fourth... LET'S CONNECT: Twitch:   / cynicalhistorian   Facebook:   / cynicalcypher88   Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/cynicalhisto... Threads: https://www.threads.net/@cynicalhisto... Discord:   / discord   Twitter:   / cynical_history   The misconceptions and chapters: 0:00 Introduction 1:07 Founders wanted Judeo-Christian values 5:37 Founders were fully original thinkers 7:23 Our government/revolution began in 1776 9:40 Slavery drove the Revolution 13:17 Independence birthed a modern nation 17:15 It was a conservative revolution 19:23 The constitution is flawless 21:02 Founders were like-minded men of the people 23:37 Patriots rebelled primarily because of taxes 27:16 Liberty means small government 29:58 Outtro