Bennett William J. - American Patriots: Answering the Call to Freedom

In the course of human history, the story of Americas founding is high and unique. There are few narratives quite as romantic or quite as profound as the unlikely birth of this nation.

Together, farmers, traders, statesmen, and colonists of all stripes altered the course of history and ushered in a constitutional republicthe first of its kind. We, the beneficiaries of such a republic, cannot forget their story, for it is our story as well. It was born of reflection, baptized with blood, and has become the morning and evening star of freedom, the standard by which other nations are judged and judge themselves.

It is the story of Patriots, both known and unknownpeople like John Laurens, Nancy Morgan Hart, Lydia Darragh, and Haym Salomon. Do these names mean anything to you? They should. These men and women were not generals or presidents, but they were heroes of the Revolution nonetheless. Without them, the account of Americas founding would be dramatically different.

American Patriots: Answering the Call to Freedom tells their stories, along with those of other equally important Patriots. Their stories will surprise you, delight you, and remind you of the difference individual men and women can make in the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. Leaders shape nations, but not without the work of many calloused hands, such as the ones described in this book. These early-American Patriots will inspire you to preserve what they so nobly fought for.

The timing of this book couldnt be more critical. Right now our country is engaged in serious national debate over the future course of this nationa path toward autonomous, individual responsibility or a path toward an overreaching, intrusive caretaker. Our fate is not certain. Too many citizens today do not know these early American Patriots or understand why they fought and what they fought for. Sadly, US history is the worst subject for our high school seniors.

The burden falls on each of us to raise and educate a generation that understands its precious founding. William Wordsworth wrote, What we have loved / Others will love, and we will teach them how. Without an active, informed citizenry, we risk becoming alien to the nation we inhabit.

Perhaps no cultural or political leader today grasps this better than Rick Santorum. It is entirely fitting that the son of hardworking Catholic Italian immigrants be the one to tell the story of Americas great, but often overlooked, Patriots. From his time in the US Senate to his candidacy for presidential nominee, Santorum has defended the defenseless and spoken on behalf of those with voices often drowned out by popular culture or secular media.

In this important, timely book, Santorum stands up for some of our forgotten American Patriots, reminding us through historical narratives and compelling profiles of the unlikely voices that answered the call to defend freedom. This book, above all, should inspire a new generation of American patriots to rise up and defend the cause of liberty. The fate of the republic was at stake then, and the same may be true today.

William J. Bennett