The Grateful American Spotlight is on: Bruce Cole, former Chairman of the NEH

Susan Stein is the Senior Curator and Vice President of Museum Programs at Thomas Jefferson’s beloved estate, Monticello. For more than 20 years, she has studied and written about Jefferson. Her main responsibility is running the Curatorial department, where staff members research the objects and lives of those associated with Monticello. They also determine the physical presentation of the house; study, acquire, and care for collections; and develop exhibitions.

But perhaps Stein is best known for the landmark exhibition and book, “The Worlds of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello” (1993), and her work on the four exhibitions and film at the new Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center (2009). read more...

Andrew Jackson O’Shaughnessy is the Saunders Director of the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello, as well as a Professor of History at the University of Virginia.

He is the author of “An Empire Divided: The American Revolution and the British Caribbean,” (2000) as well as the award-winning work, “The Men Who Lost America: British Leadership, the American Revolution, and the Fate of the Empire.”

For that book, O’Shaughnessy won the prestigious 2014 George Washington Book Prize, the New-York Historical Society American History Book Prize, the Fraunces Tavern Museum Book Award, and the Guggenheim-Lehrman Prize in Military History, among others. read more...

David Bruce Smith’s Grateful American™ Foundation is dedicated to restoring enthusiasm in American history for kids, and adults.

Founded on President’s Day 2014, the mission of the organization is to provide insight and increase interest in the people and events that helped establish the United States. And the first phase of the project will highlight the work and lives of the founding presidents, from George Washington to Abraham Lincoln.

On July 4, 2016, David launched a new website that is 100% for kids, by kids: www.GratefulAmericanKids.com. read more...

When it comes to restoring enthusiasm in American history, David Bruce Smith’s Grateful American™ Foundation likes to shine a spotlight on the people and organizations that are the best teachers of the topic.

So it’s a great pleasure to interview Richard Semiatin (pictured right), the Academic Director of American Politics at American University — a man who has spent decades studying politicians and elections.

Indeed, he is the author of “Campaigns in the 21st Century” (McGraw-Hill, 2004), and editor of “Campaigns on the Cutting Edge” (CQ Press, 2008), the book’s second edition (2012) — and just weeks ago he released the third edition, available here. read more...

“The complex relationship between Thomas Jefferson and slavery has been extensively studied and debated by his biographers and by scholars of slavery,” explains Ira Berlin, author of Many Thousands Gone: The First Two Centuries of Slavery in North America (Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1998).

In fact, Jefferson owned hundreds of African-American slaves throughout his life. He acquired them by inheritance, marriage, births of slaves, and trade.

It began when he was 21 in 1767, when Jefferson inherited 5,000 acres of land and 52 slaves by his father’s will. In 1768 Jefferson began construction of his Monticello plantation, and through his marriage to Martha Wayles in 1772 and his father-in-law John Wayles inheritance in 1773 Jefferson inherited two plantations and 135 slaves. By 1776 Jefferson was one of the largest planters in Virginia. However, the value of his property (land and slaves) was increasingly offset by his growing debts, which made it very difficult to free his slaves and thereby lose them as assets. To learn more about Jefferson’s complicated relationship with slaves, Grateful American™ Foundation founder David Bruce Smith, interviewed an expert on the topic, Christa Dierksheide. read more...

iHeart Radio host Pat Rullo has a passion for history.

The author, radio show host, and health care / insurance industry expert knows that you have to understand the past to understand the future, so in this podcast asked David Bruce Smith, founder of the Grateful American™ Foundation:

What inspired you to launch the Grateful American™ Foundation? What are your goals for the project? Do you think textbooks, which can be less than riveting, are part of the problem? Adults don’t seem to know much more than kids when tested on their knowledge of American history. Do you think this is really a problem, and if so, why? What are some solutions to getting more kids and adults excited about knowing American history, and re-igniting our passion for the people who founded the country? Though the Grateful American™ TV Show, you have interviewed dozens of the leaders of the nation’s biggest presidential homes—including Mt. Vernon, Monticello, Montpelier, Lincoln’s Cottage, as well Benjamin Franklin’s House in London. What are some of your favorite things about each home? Who is your favorite president, and why? You also have a deep appreciation for contributions made by the first ladies, and the women who shaped America’s early history. Why is that, and what are some of your favorites stories about these ladies? If you could accomplish one thing with the Grateful American™ Foundation, what would it be? Download the podcast now! read more...

On January 1936, during the Great Depression, Virginia’s political and business leaders bravely demonstrated their faith in the future and their belief in the value of art by opening the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond.

The original English Renaissance-style building was designed by Peebles and Ferguson Architects of Norfolk. And in the years since, there have been five expansions, including the most recent (completed in 2010), designed by Rick Mather.

This beautiful renovation houses the museum’s permanent collection of 33,000 works of art from almost every major world culture. read more...

When the 2015 awards were presented for the 41st annual National History Day Contest on June 15, Cathy Gorn was grinning from ear to ear. “These are my kids,” says the woman who has been at the helm of the international organization for decades.

Indeed, more than 600,000 students from around the world competed in five categories: documentaries, exhibits, papers, performances, and websites.

Why did nearly 3,000 middle and high school students present their work related to the 2015 theme, Leadership and Legacy in History? What inspires a passion in history in the contestants from 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and international schools in Central America, China, Korea, and South Asia? read more...

American sculptor, painter, and inventor Ivan Schwartz says he has always been interested in what lies in his peripheral vision — exploring the shorthand of visual language as a storyteller.

That ambition is clearly what draws us to his work, which is on public display around the country — including at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, Lincoln’s Cottage at Soldier’s Home, the United States Constitution National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, and the New York Historical Society, in addition to dozens more. read more...

What would the United States be like had President Lincoln lived? Those are but some of the questions David Bruce Smith and Hope Katz Gibbs posed today to historian Allida Black, a Research Professor of History and International Affairs at the George Washington University.

She is the founding editor of The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, a project designed to preserve, teach and apply Eleanor Roosevelt’s writings and discussions of human rights and democratic politics.

Black is also the 2001 Person of Vision Award from the Arlington County Commission on the Status of Women — and the James A Jordan Award for Outstanding Dedication and Excellence in Teaching from Penn State University. And, she has written teachers’ guides for PBS documentaries — and served as an advisor to other documentaries prepared for the History Channel, A&E, and the Discovery Channel. read more...

When it comes to knowing George and Martha Washington, it’s often hard to separate the real people from the stories we learned in school. So in this episode of the Grateful American™ TV Show, we get an all-access pass to learn more about America’s first president from Curt Viebranz, president and CEO of the Mt. Vernon Foundation.

Co-hosts David Bruce Smith, creator of the Grateful American™ Foundation — and Hope Katz Gibbs, founder of Inkandescent Public Relations and executive producer of the Grateful American Series — had the opportunity to talk to Curt on the back porch of Mount Vernon, the spot where George and Martha spent many evenings sitting, talking, and sipping their favorite cocktail, gin and tonic. read more...

Bringing visitors to the hallowed ground where the founding fathers and mothers lived is the focus of most of the Grateful American Series.

But at the New-York Historical Society, the focus is on hallowed objects, according to president and CEO Louise Mirrer, who joined the organization in June 2004. Under her guidance, the New-York Historical Society has reinvigorated its commitment to foster greater public understanding of history and its impact on the world of today.

“Our goal is to support and encourage historical scholarship, and to develop education initiatives for young people, students, and adults,” explains Mirrer, who recently led New-York Historical’s campaign for a renovation of its landmark building on Central Park West, which raised more than $100 million. read more...

Shining a light on the stars of American history is the focus of the Grateful American™ Foundation.

In this podcast for David Bruce Smith’s Grateful American ™ Radio Show, Smith and co-host Hope Katz Gibbs interview John Gray, the director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, and Bruce Cole, the former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities — two men who have spent their careers bringing history to life.

In this podcast you’ll learn:

Research shows how little too many Americans know about the topic. Why is that? What can be done to get people interested in American history? Is there more the government can do? How can teachers be more empowered to bring history to life? What can parents and grandparents do to educate kids about American history? Download or stream the podcast now! read more...

John Gray has been the Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History since July 23, 2012. He oversees 234 employees, a budget of more than $34 million and the renewal of the museum’s 120,000-square-foot west exhibition wing.

Prior to this job, he spent much of his career in banking and government service until he became director of the Autry Museum of Western Heritage in Los Angeles. There, he enlarged the museum’s mission and scope, and, in 2002, merged the museum with Colorado’s Women of the West Museum and, in 2004, with Los Angeles’ oldest museum, the Southwest Museum of the American Indian. read more...

A Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., a member of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission, and a former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Those are just a few of the accomplishments of Bruce Cole.

In this podcast interview for David Bruce Smith’s Grateful American™ Radio Show, Cole shares insights on:

The work he does as a Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center What he accomplished as a member of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission His job as Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, where he managed a budget of $150 million and a staff of 170, and was responsible for awards totaling over $800 million. What were some of things he is most proud of? What got Bruce interested in American history? And what he hopes his legacy will be. Download the podcast now! read more...

Doug Bradburn is the founding director of Mount Vernon’s Fred W. Smith National Library.

In this episode of the Grateful American™ Radio Show, co-hosts David Bruce Smith and Hope Katz Gibbs interview the specialist on George Washington, who provides insights in the man behind the myth.

Before coming to run the library at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Doug was a professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the History Department at Binghamton University. He taught college-level classes at a variety of institutions, held two yearlong fellowships, earned a PhD in History from the University of Chicago, and got his BA in History and Economics from the University of Virginia. read more...

Bringing visitors to the hallowed ground where the Founding Fathers and Mothers lived is the focus of most of the Grateful American™ Series. So it is pleasure today to be with Cate Magennis Wyatt, founder and president of the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership.

This is a National Heritage Area running from Gettysburg, PA, through Maryland and West Virginia, to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, VA. The historical land, stretching 180 miles long and 75 miles wide, includes nine presidential homes and birthplaces, more than 10,000 sites on the National Register of Historic Places, and sites from the Revolutionary War, French-Indian War, War of 1812, and the Civil War. This historic region is home not only to beautiful homes, charming towns, and battlefields, but also to 13 of the nation’s 400 national parks. read more...

What is the value of teaching more kids and adults about American history?

That’s the question that Jim Basker asked GratefulAmericanFoundation.com founder David Bruce Smith.

Basker clearly knows the value of having a comprehensive view of American history. Since 1997, he has been the president of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, which is headquartered in New York City.

In that role, he has overseen the development of history education initiatives nationwide, including history high schools, teacher seminars, traveling exhibitions, digital archives, and the National History Teacher of the Year Award program. read more...

When it comes to teaching American history, James G. Basker is known for being able to bring to life the stories, facts, and events of the past.

As president of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History since 1997, Basker has overseen the development of history education initiatives nationwide—including history high schools, teacher seminars, traveling exhibitions, digital archives, and the National History Teacher of the Year Award program.

In this podcast interview you’ll learn:

What excites Basker most about American history. The mission, goals, and accomplishments of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. What makes kids passionate about learning about the past—and why it’s so important. Why such a large swath of people in the United States don’t know enough about American history—and what can be done to change that. Why Basker started the National History Teacher of the Year award, and the impact it makes today on students and teachers who are passionate about history. And that’s just for starters. Download the podcast now! read more...

What were James and Dolley Madison really like?

For insights into the lives of these founders of the country, we visited with Kat Imhoff, who has been president of The Montpelier Foundation since January 2013.

You’ll be fascinated and delighted to learn more about this couple, including how quickly they married.

Did you know:

After a brief courtship spanning the spring and summer—26-year-old widow Dolley Payne Todd married 43-year-old Congressman James Madison on September 15, 1794. Her first husband, John Todd, died of yellow fever in 1793. As Madison continued to rise in the political ranks, first as Thomas Jefferson’s secretary of state and then as two-term president of the United States, from 1809-1817, Dolley served as a dynamic political partner, national hostess, and first lady. Since Thomas Jefferson was a widower when he was president of the United States, Dolley assisted him with the social functions of the administration. After Madison’s stint as president, James and Dolley retired to Montpelier in 1817 where they managed a large plantation, entertained hundreds of visitors, and jointly edited Madison’s significant political papers—including his notes on the Constitutional Convention. Madison predeceased Dolley by 13 years, after which she traveled back and forth between Montpelier and Washington, DC, before permanently settling in the nation’s capital in 1844. read more...

“Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives,” President James Madison famously said in 1822.

That quote is part of the inspiration for the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution at Madison’s home, Montpelier, where Americans are able to increase their knowledge of the Constitution, better understand the thinking of the Founding Fathers, and engage in thought-provoking dialogues with historians, authors, and scholars as a means of deepening “the power which knowledge gives.” read more...

What inspired David Bruce Smith to write “Three Miles from Providence: The Tale of Abraham Lincoln and the Soldiers’ Home”?

That’s just one of the questions that Angela Sontheimer, managing director of The Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg, will ask Smith today on this episode of the Grateful American™ Radio Show.

Sontheimer, along with the organization’s founder, Steve Wiley, brings history to life during three-day leadership training programs. “Civil War history becomes a metaphor, and the battlefield a classroom, for the thousands of people who take courses with us, many of whom are from some of the nation’s largest corporations and government organizations. read more...

On this episode of David Bruce Smith’s Grateful American™ Series, you’ll head inside the home of founding father Alexander Hamilton.

The Hamilton Grange National Memorial is a National Park Service site in upper New York City. And to talk about the home, Hamilton, and the impact he made on American history is Liam Strain — who currently serves as District Ranger for a collection of individually legislated units of the National Park System that also includes Grant’s Tomb and Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace N. Memorial. read more...

When it comes to the Revolutionary era, there’s no better storyteller than best-selling author Tom Fleming. In fact, The Intimate Lives of the Founding Fathers, is most relevant for our Grateful American™ Series, and one of the books David Bruce Smith and Hope Katz Gibbs focused on during their recent interview with Fleming in his stomping ground of New York City.

The co-hosts of the Grateful American™ TV Show couldn’t have found a better spot to do the interview than the formal dining room of Alexander Hamilton’s home, The Grange. Be sure to check out the TV episode. read more...

For American history buffs, there’s nothing quite like visiting the home of a former president. And when that president is one of the nation’s most revered and beloved, as is Abraham Lincoln, it’s especially meaningful to meander through his summer home in Washington, DC.

David Bruce Smith and Hope Katz Gibbs were thrilled to sit down for an interview with Erin Carlson Mast, executive director of President Lincoln’s Cottage at The Soldiers’ Home, which stands just 3.5 miles from the White House. read more...

Adam Goodheart is the author of the “New York Times” bestseller, “1861,” and the forthcoming “1865, two books that capture the stories that give us tremendous insight into the real people who fought and lived during the Civil War.

A historian, essayist, and journalist, Goodheart’s articles have appeared in National Geographic, Outside, Smithsonian, The Atlantic, and The New York Times Magazine, among others. He is a regular columnist for the Times’ acclaimed Civil War series, “Disunion.” He lives in Washington, D.C., and on the Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where he is director of Washington College’s C. V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience. read more...

By David Bruce Smith, Founder and Hope Katz Gibbs, Executive Director The Grateful American™ Series

“You have to know where you came from to know where you are going,” insists David Bruce Smith, founder of The Grateful American™ Series

That’s the reason he launched the The Grateful American™ Series on President’s Day 2014. Throughout the year, he’ll be interviewing the executives who run the nation’s presidential homes, as well as historians, authors, and educators who know the importance of keeping our nation’s history alive. read more...

“You have to know where you came from to know where you are going,” insists David Bruce Smith, a Washington, DC-based author and publisher who recently penned American Hero: John Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States.

That’s why in January 2014 he launched The Grateful American™ Series — a radio show, TV series, and guidebook that he’s launching with his show on the Inkandescent Radio Network.

To get the conversation started, we sat down with David in the Washington, DC headquarters of his company, David Bruce Smith Publications. read more...

Welcome to author and publisher David Bruce Smith’s new show: The Grateful American™ Series.

This interactive, multi-media program is designed to restore enthusiasm in American history for children — and grown ups, too!

The series will include:

The Grateful American Radio Show on the Inkandescent Radio Network featuring interviews about historical figures (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, etc.) with the chief executives of the nation’s presidential homes, historians, and other experts. A TV series on YouTube, public access, and national TV stations. Grateful American™ Guidebooks: Featuring insights from the leaders of the presidential homes, interactive exercises that explore, engage, and help readers develop an interest for American history. Grateful American Events: Dovetailing with and promoting the events-in-progress currently going on at each of the nation’s top presidential homes. An interactive website: Here students will post art, photos, writing, music, and other creative works that share their ideas about what excites them about American history. In the monthly podcast radio show you’ll learn: read more...