This Father’s Day, as we celebrate the 250th year of this great American experiment, we look beyond the backyard grills to the men who truly “fathered” our modern sense of citizenship. These were not men born into the comforts we know today; they were outsiders who upgraded from the status of “subject” to the responsibility of “citizen.”
Alexander Hamilton “The Planner”
Born on a tiny Caribbean island, Alexander Hamilton arrived in New York as a “subject” of the British Crown, but he had the heart of a revolutionary citizen. He didn’t just fight for independence; he built some of the machinery that allowed it to thrive. Hamilton was a man of “firsts”—founding the U.S. Coast Guard to protect our shores and the U.S. Treasury to protect our credit. As a father, he was famously intense, drafting “rules for the household” that emphasized honor and education. His son, James Alexander Hamilton, took those lessons to heart, serving as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
“During the Civil War, James became a vital advisor to President Lincoln, showing how his father’s plans had grown a nation!
Irving Berlin“The Singer”
Born as Israel Beilin in Russia, Irving Berlin fled a world of Russian kings where soldiers burned his house to the ground. He arrived in New York as a child, knowing only that in America, you were allowed to sing your own song. He taught himself to play piano and, from there, went on to write over 1,500 songs, including the unofficial national anthem, “God Bless America.” In a move of ultimate civic duty, he refused to take a single penny for the tune, instead donating the millions it earned to the Boy and Girl Scouts of America. He raised his daughters to believe that being American was a sacred privilege.
He viewed his freedom and citizenship as a debt of gratitude he could never fully repay.
Igor Sikorsky“The Dreamer”
Igor Sikorsky was already a successful engineer in Russia, but the chaos of the Communist Revolution taught him that brilliance means nothing without the freedom to use it. He fled to the U.S. in 1919, starting over in a country that didn’t yet know it needed his “flying machines.” Igor Sikorsky was a visionary who believed technology should serve humanity. He created the modern helicopter, as much a tool of rescue as transportation and battle. He was also a deeply spiritual father who encouraged his sons to see the world from a higher perspective.
His son Sergei followed his father’s view of service and spent five decades as a rescue pilot in the U.S. Coast Guard.
All of these new American fathers arrived with empty pockets, but minds full of the drive to dream, to build, and to dream. In doing so, they didn’t just find a home; they inspired and lifted a nation, then passed it on to their kids and future generations.
For thousands of years and today, too, history reveals a world of “Little Kings.” Whether they were called Pharaohs, Emperors, or royalty, their rule was nearly always the same: they were at the top, and everyone else was a subject— that’s a polite way to say, the king’s property! The job of a subject was to build the king’s monuments, fight his wars, and follow every rule. In exchange, you got food and shelter, though if you stepped out of line, you were cancelled ancient-style. (You don’t wanna know!) There were exceptions; places where the people, the citizens, took on a much bigger role!
Roman citizens served the Emperor, fought battles, and paid taxes—and in return, they got benefits. Rome also offered citizenship to people from other lands, but they had to prove total loyalty to the empire.
Ancient Greeks expected participation. If you were a citizen, you couldn’t just sit at home and binge on stuff! You were expected to show up at public debates and vote on how to help the whole city.
Spartan warriors were trained to be incredibly strong and brave. While young men pledged their lives to defend the nation, their leaders took the same oath and fought right by their side.
Duties and Responsibilities of Citizenship
America’s Founding Fathers noticed that all of these systems fell apart when leaders grew greedy or citizens stopped caring. They realized that people were not meant to be owned as “subjects” or forced to obey a ruler; they are “citizens” who have the right to create their own government and are responsible for making it work. This made America a magnet for people from all over the world seeking basic rights and freedoms, such as speech and worship. This legacy, in turn, created a unique American model of citizenship, one based on two things: Duty and Responsibility.
Today, American citizenship involves specific duties and responsibilities. Duties include: paying taxes, serving on a jury when called, and (for men) registering for the Selective Service. Responsibilities include: voting, staying informed on public issues, and respecting the rights and opinions of others. Today, citizenship requires meeting specific legal responsibilities that prove a commitment to America’s freedom and ideals:
Schooling in America started at home. Parents, usually moms, would teach their own children what was needed to function in the community. This included subjects like math and history. It also involved duties and skills like sharing and making agreements. Additionally, it encompassed learning wisdom from history’s greatest thinkers. This means that your education was there to serve you and help you serve others better. This made for a tighter community where people can better help each other succeed. Early education was highly service-oriented. In early America, some teaching moms would also teach several children from different families.
The First Schoolhouses Were Homes!
As towns grew, citizens and local governments hired teachers to teach the children. Kids had to walk miles to get to their teacher. The school rooms often had children of all ages and in different stages of their education.
Teachers were great role models for their hard work, dedication, and sacrifice for others.
In 1690, the Puritans (The Pilgrims were Puritans) used a version of a British textbook. In America, it was called the New England Primer. It was full of history, philosophy, and a lot from the Bible.
FASCINATING FACT
Religious people primarily built early America. There were no textbooks early on. The Bible was beneficial with its lessons in morality, family, duty, and history.
Noah Webster
Revolutionary period educator Noah Webster later created the “Blue-Backed Speller.” This is a nickname for A Grammatical Institute of the English Language. The textbook taught and standardized reading, spelling, and writing in all areas of the country. It was used for decades and sold millions of copies. Webster also started what we know today as Webster’s dictionary!
Wonder what it was like going to school back then? Really hard! In fact, some of America’s Founding Fathers, like John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, read books written in Latin. They were doing complex math before they were teens! No wonder they put so much value on education. It birthed a Revolution!
Later, Thomas Jefferson helped found the University of Pennsylvania. Benjamin Franklin, who was primarily self-taught, started the first lending library so that everyone can access books. He knew education was a power for freedom, so he also started several schools for African Americans.
The Test of Time
Today, there is great debate over the current school system. President Jimmy Carter nationalized it with his 1979 creation of the Department of Education. Since then, test scores have fallen. Yet, many home schooled students commonly score much higher on the college-bound SATs and ACTs. This trend is akin to America’s beginning and contrasts with those who attend K-12 public schools.
The debate is ongoing, but one thing is for sure. We always have a lot to learn!
To start our celebration of, well, celebrations, let's explore this very ancient word, jubilee. We will also see how it came to be. Jubilee comes from the Old Testament of the Bible, meaning it’s over 3,000 years old. That’s a lot of celebrating, but of what? In the Bible, jubilees celebrated important religious events. They served as reminders to stay focused on the important things in life and the gifts that God has given.
Celebrate Freedom
Slavery and debt-bondage were nearly universal in the ancient world. Sadly, they still exist in some forms today. In the ancient Near East, Mesopotamian, Babylonian, and Assyrian kings occasionally canceled debts. They freed many slaves, usually at the beginning of their reigns or to keep order in a crisis. Ancient Israel made this a law and practiced it every seven years. Now, that’s a jubilee!
Celebrate Health
It's not just important to celebrate health, but appreciating and celebrating things that matter actually makes you healthier! Think about it. It’s difficult to be sad while celebrating something. A life filled with celebrations can lead to a happier life. Happier lives are longer.
IMPORTANT POINT Not every celebration has to be filled with cake and balloons. They can be personal and something that brings joy or happiness to your life!
Change the Now, Change the Future!
There's a reason we call it the gift. If you look at right now, you will see this very moment is a great gift! Always remember that how you look at things affects your entire outlook in life. Just by appreciating the people around you and where you are, you change your outlook. When that happens, you also change the outlook of others. Now that’s something to celebrate!
Celebrate Also Means Appreciate!
It’s easy to celebrate when things are going well. It’s more difficult when things are hard. That's precisely when it’s important to focus on the good things in your life. Learning from hardships is a crucial step in overcoming adversity. Celebrating and appreciating what you have helps you navigate the challenges and bumps in the road.
Nearly everything has a bright side. Look for the positive and celebrate it!
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is widely known for his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. He led peaceful protests against segregation. He also advocated for equal rights for blacks. His legacy, courage, and faith in God are celebrated every January.
IMPORTANT FACT About Segregation
After the Civil War, fourteen Southern states did not want to grant blacks an equal place in society. They created unfair state and local laws that discriminated against blacks. These laws, called Jim Crow Laws, created separate facilities for blacks. These included separate businesses, public bathrooms, and seats in the back of transportation. They also imposed literacy tests for voting and extra taxes. Dr. King dedicated his life to ending this segregation forever.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Martin Luther King, Jr. grew up in this segregated world. When he was five, he couldn't play with one of his best friends. The friend's parents disapproved of their friendship because the friend was white. For the next several years, young Martin attended segregated black schools. Then, during one summer break from college, everything changed after he traveled to Connecticut. There, he was amazed to find whites and blacks attending the same churches and eating at the same restaurants. This was the world he had only dreamed was possible. It became his dream for all.
Dr. King and the Bible
Inspired by the Bible’s view of all being equal in God’s eyes, young Martin Luther King became Dr. King, a Baptist minister. He applied the Bible’s messages of universal love and the peaceful resistance of Jesus to the Roman Empire. He was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, a famous Indian lawyer. Gandhi used similar nonviolent resistance in India’s fight for independence. They fought against the similarly segregationist British rule there.
In 1955, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was given the opportunity to lead the fight for civil rights. Rosa Parks, a black woman, refused to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. Dr. King chose to help organize a boycott of the entire Montgomery bus system. It was so successful that segregation on the buses was ended the next year in 1956.
The Famous Speech
In 1963, Dr. King led a famous march on Washington, D.C. Over 250,000 people of diverse races attended the peaceful rally to support the end of segregation. During that event, Dr. King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech, which brought the cause of equal rights national attention. By 1964, America passed the groundbreaking Civil Rights Act, and Dr. King became the youngest person at the time to get the Nobel Peace Prize. He was just 35. This is why we celebrate him today.
Some acts of kindness are most notable. They include smiles and going out of your way to help another. The ones we do without expecting anything stand out the most. Those are random acts of kindness that really show off our caring! Small acts of kindness are memorable. They stand on their own. Nonetheless, some of us can take those acts to amazing and new heights of power!
Chiune Sugihara
Chiune Sugihara was born in Japan. He grew up with a strong sense of right and wrong. It was so strong that he wouldn’t even let his job get in the way of doing the right thing. When World War II broke out, Sugihara and his wife Yukiko were stationed in Lithuania in Eastern Europe. Germany's frightening Nazi Army invaded Europe. Hundreds of thousands of Jewish people were caught in the violence. They not escape.
Sugihara was a diplomat. Despite his government not wanting him to get involved, he and Yukiko gave out thousands of travel visas or passes. This allowed entire families to escape! When his superiors found out, they ordered Sugihara to stop. Instead, he refused and, with Yukiko, handed out visas until the last train of refugees left the country. When he was finally sent home, Sugihara had saved six to ten thousand lives!
San Marino
This one’s not exactly a person. It’s even bigger, a whole nation full of people! The serene Republic of San Marino is located in Italy and is the oldest republic in the world. During World War II, the population of this tiny nation was about 15,000. During the war, the people of San Marino took in 100,000 people seeking refuge. Amazingly, there was near total solidarity among the citizens of the small country. Everybody got involved and helped out!
Gail Seymour Halvorsen The Berlin Candy Bomber
After World War II, the German capital of Berlin was divided into two parts. The Soviet Union controlled West Berlin. Its leaders were happy to let the Germans, their former enemies, suffer and starve. To prevent this, the U.S. began airlifting supplies by the ton into West Berlin. One of those airlift pilots was Gail Seymour Halvorsen. After he landed and stepped out of his plane, some German kids saw Halvorsen chewing gum.
They had no idea what gum was, so he gave some out and promised to bring more. For the next year, Halvorsen flew his plane over the area. He dropped little parachutes with bags of candy and gum attached. When his commanding officer found out, Halvorsen figured he was in trouble, but instead, he was encouraged to continue!
Those random acts of kindness sure are contagious!
