Of Thee I Sing: The Contested History of American Patriotism (American Ways) (Hardcover)
Our definition of American patriotism needs to be expanded beyond national celebrations. Identifying four competing forms of patriotism--celebratory, mythic, active, and critical--allows us to rediscover forgotten histories and reframe familiar ones like the Revolution and the Civil War, and helps us analyze our 21st century debates over patriotism.
Ben Railton is Professor of English Studies and Coordinator of American Studies at Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts. He is the author of five previous books, most recently We the People: The 500-Year Battle over Who is American (also in the American Ways series). His public scholarly efforts also include the daily AmericanStudies blog, the monthly Considering History column for the Saturday Evening Post, and contributions to many other online conversations including HuffPost and We're History.