Kermit Roosevelt III on “The Nation That Never Was”

On Sunday, April 23, at 4 p.m., Kermit Roosevelt III, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania law school and the great-great-grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt, will discuss his new book, “The Nation That Never Was: Reconstructing America’s Story.”

In his new book, Roosevelt argues that a traditional American narrative – “that our fundamental values as a country were stated in the Declaration of Independence, fought for in the Revolution, and made law in the Constitution”–is neither useful nor true. Instead, he writes, we should look to the 19th century, to the period following Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, “when it was possible to envision the emergence of the nation committed to liberty and equality.”

Publishers Weekly writes that “astute textual analysis, careful historical research, and a deep commitment to social justice make this an inspiring re-examination of America’s past.” Professor Sanford Levinson of the University of Texas at Austin School of Law calls it “a truly extraordinary book.”

Go to the 2023 Calendar & Events page at jayheritagecenter.org to register.