Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch is releasing a children’s book in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary to teach them about the Declaration of Independence.
The book, called “Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration,” explores the “courage and sacrifice of some of the heroes of the American Revolution and the stories behind the document that started it all—The Declaration of Independence,” according to a summary from Harper Collins.
“Dive into the stories of ordinary people willing to do extraordinary things, from iconic figures like Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Ben Franklin, and Paul Revere, to lesser-known revolutionaries such as Caesar Rodney, Thomas Paine, and Mary Katherine Goddard,” the synopsis adds. “These great men and women risked all they had—their property, freedom, and ultimately their lives—to secure a better life for their children and grandchildren.”
Speaking to Fox News, Gorsuch said, “If parents are tired of ‘Goodnight Moon,’ how about ‘Goodnight, Ben Franklin?'”
He told the outlet that the book came out of a need to address the decline in civic education. “Only about 13% of kids today in eighth grade are proficient in American history — [and just] 22% in civics,” he explained. “One thing we could all agree on is the importance of learning American history. Because how else are you going to carry this thing forward? Somebody has to run the zoo, right?”
“You have to remember that only about 40% of the colonists supported independence,” he added. “Even in July 1776, another 30% were opposed. They were loyalists. The rest were kind of undecided. And it split up families.”
“And a wise old judge once told me, if you sit and listen to someone long enough, you’re going to find something you can agree on,” the Supreme Court justice further noted. “Maybe you start there.”
