Teachers must encourage their students to love America by capturing their imagination, said Matthew Spalding, dean of the Van Andel Graduate School of Government in a talk at Hillsdale’s main campus Feb. 9

“The good life is one that calls us to rightly order our loves, and the Declaration of Independence is part of our civic love,” Spalding said. “Nothing can truly be loved unless the object of love is known, and we must make sure the story of it is being told well.”

Spalding addressed school leaders gathered for Hillsdale College’s annual conference of affiliated K–12 schools and talked about his newly released book titled “The Making of the American Mind: The Story of Our Declaration of Independence.” Spalding urged educators to recover the story at the heart of the American Founding.

“Education should form attachments to country,” Spalding said. “It should inspire the young, but then it should teach them to be good citizens.”

Spalding said he wanted the Declaration of Independence to tell its own story in his book.

“The Declaration is like a symphony; it has different parts, different sounds, different melodies, and it all goes together,” Spalding said. “We just need to listen.”

Spalding highlighted four key phrases of the Declaration, beginning with the introduction: “When in the course of human events.” 

The Founders did not see themselves as swept along by impersonal forces, according to Spalding. 

“They understood themselves to be actors in that history,” Spalding said. “Looking to shape that history by making decisions.”

Turning to the assertion “we hold these truths to be self-evident,” Spalding emphasized the Founders’ confidence in reason. 

“The Declaration assumes the human mind is capable of knowing the truth of things,” Spalding said. “They didn’t say, ‘We have some personal opinion we’d like to share with you.’”

Spalding also pointed to the often-overlooked phrase that follows: “Prudence, indeed, will dictate.” 

“It’s no coincidence that the next word after the discussion of abstract truths is the central cardinal virtue, prudence,” Spalding said. “Particulars are always changing. We often make mistakes. We are imperfect, but are supposed to live up to our principles, and not wallow in our human imperfections.” 

Spalding closed with the Declaration’s final pledge: “We mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” 

Spalding said that line is an oath.

“The Declaration is not a document of mere modern, secular rationalism,” Spalding said. “The references to the laws of nature and of nature’s God, the creator, the supreme judge and divine providence show that it is a document of both reason and revelation.”

Quoting Abraham Lincoln, Spalding said the Declaration is what unites Americans across generations. 

“It is the electric cord that links the hearts of patriotic, liberty-loving men together,” Spalding said. “Educators should help students to claim it as though they were blood of the blood and flesh of the flesh of the men who wrote the Declaration.”

Mike Roberts, headmaster of Hillsdale Academy, said teachers have an opportunity right now to capture the attention of students as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary. 

“I think it’s really critical that our schools are inspired to teach history,” Roberts said. “And we have this opportunity to recapture the story and grab the attention of youth as we prepare to celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary.”

Abigail Teska, an art teacher at Seven Oaks Classical School in Ellettsville, Indiana, said she believed in the call to view America as something beautiful and worthy of our appreciation. 

“Students cannot love what they do not understand,” Teska said.“How is a student going to appreciate a work of art if they don’t have any of the skills or knowledge behind what you’re asking them to appreciate? The same is true of civic education.”

For Spalding, the task of civic education is urgent and hopeful. 

“Make your students fall in love with America,” Spalding said.