Pursuits of Knowledge
James Traub on “The Cradle of Citizenship”
- Complimentary parking
- Open to the Public
James Traub discusses his book, “The Cradle of Citizenship: How Schools Can Help Save Our Democracy.”
- Non-Members and Members $10
About the Event
Join us in conversation with James Traub to discuss his book, “The Cradle of Citizenship: How Schools Can Help Save Our Democracy,” a devastating critique of our failure to prepare students for citizenship—and a roadmap to a better way.
Event Details
- Location: Monticello's Howard and Abby Milstein Theater at Monticello's visitor center
- Seating opens at 5:30pm and the program begins promptly at 6pm.
- Meet the author and book signing available after the program.
- Complimentary parking is available at the David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center
- The Monticello Shop will be open before and after the program - merchandise, snacks, and beverages will be available for purchase.
About the Book
A devastating critique of our failure to prepare students for citizenship—and a roadmap to a better way.
America’s Founders placed great confidence in schools, which they believed would teach young people to understand our political system and to engage in reasoned political debate as adults. Yet today, when virtually all Americans graduate from high school, we remain stunningly ignorant of history and government. In 2022, the National Assessment of Educational Progress found that only 13 percent of students scored a “proficient” level in history. Adults do no better: only 40 percent can name the three branches of government.
In The Cradle of Citizenship, James Traub chronicles his year of observing public schools across the country, talking to teachers, scholars, and curriculum designers. He finds teachers in Florida who are afraid of discussing topics that might be seen as “woke”; a red-blue war incarnated in the 1619 Project and 1776 Report; a profound disagreement over what exactly civic education means; and, most dismayingly, ever-diminishing expectations of students with ever-dwindling attention spans.
Yet The Cradle of Citizenship also finds sources of hope. Traub learns that, despite endless right-wing critiques, virtually all social studies teachers keep their personal views to themselves and encourage students to develop views of their own. He describes the extraordinary collaboration between liberal and conservative scholars that led to the creation of “Educating for American Democracy,” a roadmap for the teaching of civics. Finally, Traub describes the “classical school,” a traditional model based on the study of great books and the conscious molding of character, which is derided as reactionary in progressive circles yet prompts students to discuss books and ideas with depth. Shedding light on one of the most divisive issues of our time, The Cradle of Citizenship upholds a vision of civics education as it could be.
About the Author
James Traub has written extensively for America’s leading publications, including The New Yorker and the New York Times Magazine. His most recent book, True Believer: Hubert Humphrey’s Quest for a More Just America, was longlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award. He lives in New York.
About the Moderator
For more than 20 years David Bobb has been one of the leading advocates for strong history and civic education in the United States. David is president and CEO of the Bill of Rights Institute, a position he’s held since 2013. David serves on the advisory board for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s National Civics Bee, on the Steering Committee for Educating for Democracy, and on the advisory board of the Aspen Institute’s Rising Generations Strategy Group. Author of Humility: An Unlikely Biography of America’s Greatest Virtue, and a chapter on Frederick Douglass in a volume published by Oxford University Press, David has written for the Wall Street Journal and Education Week, among more than 100 other publications. His next book, due out June 9, 2026, and co-authored with Tony Williams, is Divided Over the Declaration: How an Enduring Debate Sustains the Vision of America. David earned a Ph.D. in political science from Boston College.
Monticello gratefully acknowledges the partnership of More Perfect in our 250th anniversary initiatives.