• The Heritage Network
    • Resize:
    • A
    • A
    • A
  • Donate
  • First Principles

    The future of liberty depends on reclaiming America’s first principles.

    American Tea Parties, Greek Yogurt Parties

    When it comes to crushing debts, unsustainable entitlements and ballooning deficits, Americans and Europeans are all in the same sinking boat. Where they part ways is in their response to the looming crisis. Faced with out-of-control government spending and the prospect of a bleak economic future, Americans from across the … More

    Our National Portrait: The Great Seal of the United States

    The decision to adopt a national seal was made on July 4, 1776, the same day that the Continental Congress declared America’s independence from Great Britain. As a practical matter, America needed an official emblem to affix to diplomatic and official documents in order to signify its sovereignty as a … More

    The Statue of Liberty Turns 126 Years Old

    126 years ago today, on June 17, 1885, the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor.  A gift from the French people, the statue recalls our alliance with France during the Revolutionary War.  Historian Edouard de Laboulaye conceived the idea of the statue as a visible symbol of America’s … More

    Guest Blog: Did the Raid Against Bin Laden Violate Our Own Principles?

    Ever since the raid last month that killed Osama Bin Laden, the question of whether the US violated Pakistani sovereignty keeps on coming up. Heritage asked renowned international law scholar Jeremy Rabkin to address the matter. Did the United States violate Pakistan’s sovereignty when it raided Osama bin Laden’s lair in … More

    Marco Rubio’s Exceptional America

    The idea of “American exceptionalism” has become a litmus test for patriotism in the last year or so. Politicians from both parties have realized that it resonates with American citizens and have hastened to add it to their list of buzz words. However, it is used often without explanation, which … More

    Did America Have a Christian Founding?

    Few historical questions generate as much controversy as this one—and do so on such a regular basis. Every few months or so, following some public pronouncement on America’s Christian roots or some court ruling pertaining to the First Amendment, the nation is subjected to a heated, but essentially sterile, debate … More

    Flag Day 2011: It’s A Flag Worth Flying

    A few weeks ago at Louisiana State University, a small group of agitated students attempted to burn a U.S. flag in protest for some policy or other that they believed warranted the symbolic destruction of their country. Before they could get going, however, the protest was interrupted by other students … More

    The Founders on a Standing Navy: American Military Action Abroad (1783-1860)

    In 1794, President George Washington requested and Congress authorized the building of six frigates, a type of warship widely used at the time. The presence of a standing U.S. Navy was deemed necessary in order to defend American citizens and commerce from European wars and the Barbary Coast pirates. By … More

    Beyond the American Dream: Those Amazing Americans!

    “That core idea of America—that if you work hard, if you do right, if you’re responsible, that you can lead a better life and most importantly pass on a better life to your kids—that American Dream feels like it’s getting further and further out of reach.” Who said this last … More

    Dude, Like, What’s the Constitution, Anyway?

    A third of graduated and rising high school seniors – who will be voting in the 2012 elections – have never studied the U.S. Constitution. A recent study by the National Assessment for Educational Progress reported that only 67% of all high school students have spent any time studying the … More