Introduction: The Colonial Williamsburg History and Civics Project
Part 1 of 5

JAMES E. DAVIS
H. MICHAEL HARTOONIAN
RICHARD VAN SCOTTER
WILLIAM E. WHITE

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     The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has reexamined and revitalized its educational mission. The United States’ largest living history museum has focused its mission on the civic health of the nation. Recent generations of Americans have focused their attention on the issues of individual rights with little attention to the civic responsibility required to maintain the republic that protects those rights. Colonial Williamsburg’s new educational theme, “Education for Citizenship,” aspires to contribute significantly to refocusing Americans on their civic responsibilities. Colonial Williamsburg is well suited to this mission. In the capital city of the Virginia colony, the founding ideals of the nation were shaped and debated in collaboration with patriots up and down the eastern seaboard. In the Virginia Capitol Building, the Fifth Virginia Convention adopted George Mason’s Declaration of Rights, the seminal statement of American civic principles. Colonial Williamsburg is the museum of these ideals
     Therefore, in addition to general public programming, Colonial Williamsburg has embarked on a new secondary-school history and civics project based on those founding ideals and the principle that the republic of the United States is sustained and enhanced through civic discourse and debate. This debate engages individual citizens, elected leaders, institutions, and communities working to maintain a balance among four sets of democratic values. Through a series of topics and case studies cutting across the scope of American history, students are able to access primary sources and engage in the pivotal debates of American history. The exploration of American history is organized both chronologically and by topic, allowing teachers to construct lessons, units, and courses that highlight the diverse nature of American society and the larger national narrative
     The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation — in collaboration with the Social Science Education Consortium (SSEC), contributing scholars, educators, and teachers-has developed a conceptual foundation for the project. William E. White, executive producer of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, serves as project director with James E. Davis of the SSEC as project editor. H. Michael Hartoonian and Richard D. Van Scotter represent the author team.

     The project title, “The Idea of America,” has a distinguished advisory board. Its honorary chair is former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. The board includes prominent historians Joseph Ellis of Mount Holyoke College and Gordon Wood of Brown University. Other members of the board are Andrea Mitchell, journalist with NBC News; Richard Niemi, professor of political science, University of Rochester; and Ron Rapoport, government chair, College of William and Mary.
     The governing principles of the project summarized below represent the civic foundation of the United States. These are criteria by which citizens judge the vitality of the republic. An understanding of these principles in the lives of citizens is the fundamental purpose of education and the primary responsibility of public schools. Without a deliberate effort to teach, learn, and practice them, a free republic cannot exist.

• America as an idea. America is an idea created and sustained through vigorous and intelligent debate.
• The office of citizen. In a democratic society, the individual is ultimately responsible for the conduct of governments that are maintained through ongoing debate and civic virtues, such as respect for hard work, civility, truthfulness, cogent ideas, and patience.
• The democratic mind. A democratic mind equips the individual with the intellectual ability to entertain contradictory or opposing ideas and make decisions on the basis of facts supported by evidence.
• The four value tensions of democracy. Issues in a democratic society can be addressed effectively by reconciling and balancing one or more of the inherent four sets of value tensions: (1) law versus ethics, (2) private wealth versus common wealth, (3) freedom versus equality, and (4) unity versus diversity.
• Self-government. The United States’ democratic republic is based on the principles that people have the natural right and ability to govern themselves and that political authority is best invested in citizens.
• Democratic debate. Democratic debate starts with awareness of an imbalance in one or more of the four value sets and is developed when citizens explore differences, derive a better balance among value positions, and devise policies.

     The four articles in this special section address these principles. “The Problem: Democracy at Risk” presents a project rationale. “A Gateway to Social Studies through Topical History” makes a case for the study of topical, rather than chronological, history. “The United States: A Persistent Debate” discusses four key value tensions that are central to America’s ongoing debate. “The Idea of America: A Case Study Approach” provides brief examples of the case studies to be developed in the project.

NOTE: The Colonial Williamsburg History and Civics Project will be an Internet-based curriculum produced and distributed through the combined effort of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and a private publishing company. It is scheduled to he available for school purchase by the fall of 2009.

JAMES E. DAVIS is the executive director of the Social Science Education Consortium in Boulder, Colorado. He is also a civics textbook coauthor.
H. MICHAEL HARTOONIAN is a professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota and past president of the National Council for the Social Studies.
RICHARD VAN SCOTTER is an educator and writer who lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and a contributor to the media on cultural issues.
WILLIAM E. WHITE is the executive producer and director of educational program development at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and is responsible for the foundation’s Teacher Institute Program and Electronic Field Trip Series. He received his doctorate in American studies from the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia.

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