Of Thee I Sing
The Contested History of American Patriotism
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- $34.99
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- $34.99
Publisher Description
When we talk about patriotism in America, we tend to mean one form: the version captured in shared celebrations like the national anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance. But as Ben Railton argues, that celebratory patriotism is just one of four distinct forms: celebratory, the communal expression of an idealized America; mythic, the creation of national myths that exclude certain communities; active, acts of service and sacrifice for the nation; and critical, arguments for how the nation has fallen short of its ideals that seek to move us toward that more perfect union.
In Of Thee I Sing, Railton defines those four forms of American patriotism, using the four verses of “America the Beautiful” as examples of each type, and traces them across our histories. Doing so allows us to reframe seemingly familiar histories such as the Revolution, the Civil War, and the Greatest Generation, as well as texts such as the national anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance. And it helps us rediscover forgotten histories and figures, from Revolutionary War Loyalists and the World War I Espionage and Sedition Acts to active patriots like Civil War nurse Susie King Taylor and the suffragist Silent Sentinels to critical patriotic authors like William Apess and James Baldwin.
Tracing the contested history of American patriotism also helps us better understand many of our 21st century debates: from Donald Trump’s divisive deployment of celebratory and mythic forms of patriotism to the backlash to the critical patriotisms expressed by Colin Kaepernick and the 1619 Project. Only by engaging with the multiple forms of American patriotism, past and present, can we begin to move forward toward a more perfect union that we all can celebrate.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Railton (History and Hope in American Literature), a professor of American studies at Fitchburg State University, examines four different kinds of American patriotism in this accessible and progressive- minded history. "Celebratory" and "mythic" patriotism, according to Railton, can create a "sense of national belonging and community," yet they tend to idealize the nation's history and often "require the exclusion and even the erasure" of marginalized groups such as Native Americans and immigrants. On the other hand, "active" patriotism, which Railton defines as service to country, and "critical" patriotism, which spotlights national shortcomings, can bring the country closer to its democratic ideals. Railton tracks these four modes of patriotism from the nation's founding to the present day, offering a particularly insightful study of the Progressive Era that juxtaposes Theodore Roosevelt's embodiment of celebratory patriotism with the active and critical patriotism that motivated the period's myriad reform movements, including women's suffrage and anti-imperialism. Reviewing the contemporary scene, Railton finds examples of critical patriotism in the protest movements that have arisen in response to the Trump administration. Though Railton's history lessons are familiar, he's found an intriguing lens through which to view the American story. Liberals in particular will savor this fine-tuned dissection of competing visions of American patriotism.
