Most Americans can quote a line or two of the Declaration of Independence, but almost no one has actually read the whole thing. Today I'm going line by line to unpack what Jefferson was actually arguing and why it matters even more now than it did in 1776.

A generation raised with little independence and everything on demand can’t fully understand the values woven into the Declaration and how they apply today. In 2026, it isn’t all that suprising that Gen Z is increasingly pro-socialism and anti-patriotism.

Our creed won't pass itself on. That's our job as parents.

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Check my sources over on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/dadsavesamerica/p/the-real-reason-gen-z-doesnt-care?r=24ayxm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

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Ready to give MASA a try? Get 25% off your first order by going to https://www.masachips.com/dad and using code DAD.

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Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/

Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3T2n3JpAFsQ

Make a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Visit our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

I sat down with historian James Hankins, who recently resigned from Harvard after 40 years, to discuss why academia abandoned Western civilization, the institutional mechanisms that silence dissent, and how we can embrace the Western roots of America in the 21st century.

We get into:

* Why he left Harvard and joined the Hamilton School in Florida

* How fear of student backlash silences even tenured professors

* What happened to Harvard’s commitment to Western civilization

* Why teaching “global history” misses the point of education

* The link between Christianity, liberalism, and capitalism

* The classical education movement as antidote to institutional rot

* Why America needs to reclaim its Western heritage

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Ready to give MASA a try? Get 25% off your first order by going to https://www.masachips.com/dad and using code DAD.

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Follow James Hankins on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/JamesWHankins1?s=20

Read James’s Harvard resignation article: https://www.compactmag.com/article/why-im-leaving-harvard/

Order a copy of “The Golden Thread”: https://a.co/d/06ypgCWv

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Outline:

[0:00] Why he left Harvard after 40 years

[7:51] The decline of elite higher education

[18:12] The big lie about Western Civilization

[25:27] Global history vs. narrative history

[42:04] Does history help us predict the future?

[49:45] What is Western Civilization?

[1:01:23] Islamic conquest and the Dark Ages

[1:05:20] The origins of liberalism

[1:19:07] How did the Church enforce canon law?

[1:24:42] The evolution of usury laws

[1:33:19] America’s role in Western Civilization

[1:39:45] The French Revolution’s societal self-hatred

[1:47:30] The Radicalism of the American Revolution

[1:54:04] Do Catholics belong in America?

[2:01:20] Is the “Protestant work ethic” real?

[2:07:32] What to prioritize when educating your kids

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Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/

Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/B9itx1ljE5E

Make a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Visit our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The United States is a constitutional republic, not a democracy. Today I'm going back to the original text of the Constitution to uncover what it actually says, and just as importantly, what it doesn't.

The Constitution never mentions health, education, or retirement. The president was never meant to wield this much power. The Senate was never supposed to be directly elected. And the First Amendment almost wasn't about free speech at all.

The Founding Fathers didn't trust pure democracy. After 250 years, it's pretty clear they were right.

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Check my sources over on Substack: https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/p/our-government-was-never-meant-to?r=24ayxm

_____________________________________

Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/

Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/kJ6QRZgFi5s

Make a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Visit our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠