Have you ever wondered how was America made and why do we not see the stories of American history in the schools anymore? Who were the pilgrims and founding fathers and what did they know that caused them to create this great country that has been considered the most powerful and prosperous throughout history? Did God have a hand in it?
The Constitution Day Committee of Utah and Bert & Kathy Smith of Smith & Edwards sponsored The Making of America seminar which was presented by Bill Norton of the National Center for Constitutional Studies on 8 February it was held in the Smith & Edwards store theater with about 140 participants in attendance. Mr. Norton has made this presentation over 100 times in 40 different states.
Mr. Norton took folks back in time to the beginning of America using a discussion guide based on the book “The Making of America.” This book was created and published by the National Center for Constitutional Studies. The book explains who the pilgrims were and their journey of abuses suffered in England based on their religious beliefs. Seminar participants were taught about how these simple folks made a pilgrimage that took them to the “New World” here in the Americas knowing they may not make it. He explained that they were willing to sacrifice all for a chance at freedom from oppression.
From there Bill shared with adults and children alike how the founding fathers such as the likes of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and others were given the chance to spend their lives in the pursuit of higher education studying past civilizations, governments, leaders, economies, etc. in order to understand the abuses heaped on citizens. The founding fathers had witnessed firsthand some of the struggles under tyranny and learned to overcome it. Then the class proceeded to be instructed in the scenario that brought about the Declaration of Independence, which led to an understanding of how the Constitution of the United States came about. All of which led to the forming of the United States of America.
The book also teaches the readers about the proper roll and form of the federal government which the founders gave us. Throughout the book we learn that the founders had based their decisions in creating the government and its laws because of their beliefs in a loving Heavenly Father. Though these men and their families had different viewpoints of Judeo-Christian teachings they learned to look for the methods that would guarantee all Americans the opportunity to pursue their goals and dreams in life without government intervention. We also learn from a study of this book how each branch of government was established and the checks and balances put into place to make sure that no one branch had more control than the other.
There was a break for a luncheon catered by Bella’s Mexican Grill and students had a chance to sit and discuss what they had learned over a meal. There was opportunity to look into other books and materials on the subject of the day. Smith & Edwards carry many of these books on display when you enter the store.
After the lunch break some different folks got up in front of the group to share information about other activities happening in the community. Landon Shumway from Layton rocked the house and received a standing ovation from the crowd for his recitation of the Declaration of Independence from memory. What made it special is he is 12-years old.
According to Kathy Smith they strive to put together family oriented programs like this to promote the understanding of sound government by following the Constitution. She indicated there will be other events coming in the near future. She can be reached for information about future events through the website www.cdutah.com.
With the great socialist experiment that is failing in America today it is important to recognize that revisionism is well under way and the true history of America is being swept away. The writer of this article recently saw a college text book where the bibliography at the end of the book was removed and a statement by the two history professors who wrote it was put in place of the bibliography that basically said because they held PhD’s in history and there was no need for a bibliography and the student should trust their views. This was shocking to say the least because if the student turned in a paper that wasn’t documented with actual sources these same professors would probably toss the paper out and fail the student.
A reminder from John Jay a founding father, “All the genius I have is this: when I have a subject in mind, I study it profoundly. Day and night it is before me, my mind becomes pervaded with it. Then the effort which I have made is what the people are pleased to call the fruit of genius. It is the fruit of labor and thought.” If America is to fix the problems in government then its citizens must be willing to take time to be educated in good government and that starts with learning how ours came about.
