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America turns 250 years old this week. That milestone got me thinking—not just about where we've been, but about what patriotism actually means after spending more than twenty years teaching American history.

I love this country. I always will. But I don't believe loving America means pretending it's perfect. In fact, I think the opposite is true. Real patriotism means telling the truth about our history—our triumphs and our failures—and believing that we become a better nation by learning from both.

In this episode I discuss:

• Why historians often think differently about patriotism

• Why America is still a work in progress

• The country's successes and failures at home and abroad

• Why acknowledging our mistakes is one of the most patriotic things we can do

• What twenty-plus years of teaching history have taught me about citizenship, democracy and the American experiment

Whether you agree with me or not, I hope this conversation encourages you to think more deeply about what it really means to love your country. Happy 250th birthday, America.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction 1:46 Why America's 250th birthday feels different to historians 3:30 Patriotism isn't blind love 4:58 America is a work in progress 7:48 America at 250: Hope, anxiety, and the historical record 8:39 America's role in the post-WWII world 10:54 Why I study American history 11:41 America isn't great because it's perfect 13:22 Fake patriotism vs. real patriotism 15:02 What I've come to believe about America 15:45 Final thoughts: Love requires honesty

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Watch more videos:

Andrew Jackson: The Rise of the American Strongman https://youtu.be/9KkUlDt3x-A

America Never Had a “Golden Age” of Journalism https://youtu.be/FsSN1fIYsjo

How Religion Helped Americans Cope with Capitalism (1820s–1840s) https://youtu.be/MgDZmwCL-RM

Why “The Founding Fathers Would Have…” Is Almost Always Wrong https://youtu.be/-zCJKAU0Ry0