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US Historians Urge Citizens to Defend Democracy
Ken Burns and Doris Kearns Goodwin reflected on America's past during Independence anniversary celebrations.
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IANS - Mon, 06, Jul 2026
- 02:58 EDT
- 42
Doris Kearns Goodwin / University of Chicago
As the United States marked the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, historians Ken Burns and Doris Kearns Goodwin urged Americans to draw lessons from the nation's past and remain actively engaged in protecting its democracy.
Speaking on NBC's Meet the Press, the award-winning documentary filmmaker and the presidential historian reflected on the country's democratic journey, arguing that periods of deep political division have been overcome through civic participation and resilient leadership.
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Burns said history offers perspective at a time when many Americans are concerned about the country's future.
"History is our best teacher, and it can be a helpful guide for everybody, no matter your disposition, political orientation, age, whatever it is," he said. "History can be an incredibly important way to digest the present and then figure out what your response is and to imagine a future together."
He argued that while political divisions dominate public discourse today, the United States has weathered greater crises in the past.
"We are really divided, but we were way more divided then, way more divided during the Civil War, way more divided during the Vietnam period," Burns said. "I see that division as sort of a mile wide but an inch thick."
Burns also reflected on the constitutional system created by the country's founders, saying they intentionally established safeguards against concentrated executive power.
"They put as Article I, not the executive. That's Article II. The executive's the manager who carries out the wishes of the Congress," he said. "I think if the founders came here, they would not be surprised at all that somebody was seeking more authoritarian power. They would be abjectly disappointed that Article I, the legislative branch, had abdicated so much of the power."
Despite current political tensions, Burns said he remained optimistic.
"We have built in, in our system, the mechanisms for repair and the restorations that I think are central to the response to this moment," he said. "We have a chance to sort of reconcile this. And why not take the path of reconciliation rather than the drama, the needless drama of further disunion?"
Goodwin similarly said history provides reassurance during periods of uncertainty.
"We're living in a tough time right now, but history can give us perspective, it can give us solace. I really think it can give us hope," she said, citing the Civil War, the Great Depression and the Second World War as examples of crises the country ultimately overcame.
She said democracy depends not only on elected leaders but also on citizens willing to participate in public life.
"When I think about these movements for social justice, it always starts with individuals feeling that they can make a difference," Goodwin said. "If we feel changes are needed, it's going to come from us, the citizens."
Goodwin also suggested a national service program could help bridge political, regional and social divides by bringing young Americans together around shared civic goals, warning that democracy is weakened when citizens increasingly view one another as adversaries rather than fellow Americans.
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