10 Ways to Teach Kids About America’s Christian Heritage

Our country has a glorious Christian heritage that is being rewritten and erased. It’s up to us as homeschooling parents to pass the baton of faith to the next generation.

Here are 10 ways to teach your beloveds about our nation’s Christian Heritage.

#1. Look at Faith in Our Nation’s Founding

Grab original documents and histories from the earliest years of our nation in the 1600s and 1700s. You will read of the strong faith of the Puritans and Pilgrims who founded New England as a City on a Hill. These men and women came here to experience freedom to worship God as they saw Scripture commanded. They also had a burden to share the Gospel with Native Americans.

The Great Awakening that preceded the American Revolution crossed denominational and colony boundaries to unify the 13 colonies in a surrendered faith in Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior.

• Read Original Works & Documents Together  

#2. The Constitution

Our fledgling nation wrote and ratified the Constitution based on Scripture. In it, we see power divided between legislative, executive, and judicial branches reflecting God as our Law-Giver, Judge, and King.

When the Federalists (for the Constitution) and Anti-Federalists (against the Constitution because they were worried about a federal government being too powerful) disagreed about the Constitution, they freely debated in the public arena because of their God-given right of free speech.

When the Constitution was ratified, the Anti-Federalists joined the Federalist in Congress and crafted the Bill of Rights (first 10 Amendments).

So, the Christian Federalists gave us the Constitution and the Christian Anti-Federalists gave us the Bill of Rights.

• Read/Discuss Constitution
• Read/Discuss Bill of Rights
• Learn about the Founding Fathers

#3. Christians Led the Anti-Slavery Movement

Christians on both sides of the Atlantic worked hard to see slavery end. Over in England, it was William Wilberforce leading a group of Christians, and in the USA, the Beechers led the charge to end slavery. Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Men and women of faith were instrumental in the Underground Railroad as well. 

• Read/Discuss Uncle Tom’s Cabin
• Learn about Harriet Tubman, Levi Coffin, and other Christian heroes

#4. Freedom of Education/Responsibility of Parents

Daniel Webster, who composed the first American (rather than British) dictionary for the new republic, also authored many schoolbooks including the famous Blue-Back Speller.

Parents were considered responsible for their own children’s education and joined with other parents in a town or city to choose a teacher and pay their salary. Many students were educated at home.

• Write a list of words and look them up in the Webster’s Dictionary 1828. It is available online; just google it.

#5. Biographies of Famous Christian Patriots

Have your children and teens read biographies that mention the faith of famous men and women who helped make America great.

Here are just a few names to get you started.

• Cotton Mather
• William Bradford
• John Winthrop
• Jonathan Edwards
• Phillis Wheatley
• George Washington
• John Hancock
• Samuel Adams
• John Quincy Adams
• Patrick Henry
• Paul Revere
• Daniel Webster
• Charles Finney
• Jedidiah Smith
• Davy Crockett
• Marcus & Narcissa Whitman
• Lew Wallace
• Robert E. Lee
• Abraham Lincoln
• Booker T. Washington
• George Washington Carver
• Calvin Coolidge
• John D. Rockefeller
• D.L. Moody
• Billy Sunday
• John Wannamaker
• Ben Carson
• Ronald Reagan

#6. Sing Patriotic Songs Together

If you play an instrument, play and sing together. If not, find audios and sing along.

Here are some songs to start with.

• “The Star-Spangled Banner”
• “America”
• “America, the Beautiful”
• “God Bless America”
• “You’re a Grand Ole Flag”

#7. Watch Cartoons about American History

Here are some of my favorites.

• Learn Our History
• This is America, Charlie Brown
• Liberty Kids

#8. Watch Patriotic Movies/Documentaries

Here are some of my favorites.

• Dave Stott’s Drive Through American History sets
• Dave Barton’s American Heritages series
• Cheaper by the Dozen
• Miracle
• An American Tail
• Johnny Tremaine  
• Yankee Doodle Dandy
• Sergeant York
• The Longest Day
• Patton

#9. Use Curriculum with a Christian Worldview

When you are choosing U.S. history or U.S. government curriculum, choose publishers that have a biblical worldview and talk about our Founding Fathers (and mothers) faith in Christ and how that impacted what they said and did.

#10. Compare & Contrast

Discuss history and current events in the light of God’s Word

• What is the underlying worldview expressed?
• Does it line up with Scripture?
• What do the people involved believe about God?
• How does that influence them?

Yes, we live in a fallen world, but throughout history, God has raised up men and women to stand strong in their generation. Meeting people in the pages of history who have lived wholeheartedly for God in our nation’s past just might inspire your children to stand strong in their generation.

God bless you and until next time, Happy Homeschooling!

Warmly, Meredith Curtis

Bio

Meredith Curtis, homeschooling mom, writer, speaker, and publisher, loves to encourage families in their homeschooling adventure. She is the author of Travel God’s World Geography, Travel God’s World Cookbook,  and HIS Story of the 20^th Century. You can check out her books, curricula, unit studies, and Bible studies at PowerlineProd.com. Read her blogs at PowerlineProd.com and listen to her at Finish Well Podcast.