Lessons in history—and on the art of being human—from David McCullough.

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Last Tuesday Americans did the work of democracy. Against an administration that seeks authoritarian rule and an oligarch-controlled right-wing media system devoted to spreading misinformation and fear, Americans responded. They showed the truth behind what the greatest of our politicians said in the dark hours before the storm of the Civil War: “This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it.”

I happened to read that quote the day after the elections. It was in a short but powerful new book of essays by one of America’s most beloved historians and storytellers. A man who, in the words of Jon Meacham, “subtly tutored us in the art of being human—of loving our neighbor as ourselves, of giving as well as taking, of lending a hand rather than clenching a fist.” A national treasure who “lived and worked ‘like a man coming over the top of a hill singing.'”

History Matters (2025) by David McCullough (edited by Dorie McCullough Lawson and Michael Hill) is a posthumous collection of thought-provoking essays—many never published before—by the Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and bestselling author. McCullough, who passed away in 2022, wrote eloquently and carefully about the American experience. He told us why American history mattered. The editors have grouped these essays into sections that consider why history is important, central figures in McCullough’s work, his influences, and a final one on writing. History is not dead in these pages; in fact, history is living and unfolding. We are an important part of that history.

Consider the previously unpublished essay on the hard, essential work of being an American citizen. It is just as important today—perhaps even more so—than when McCullough wrote it in 1990. He begins with a few simple lessons from the past, the first being that “nothing of lasting value or importance in our way of life, none of our proudest attainments, has ever come without effort. America is an effort.”

That’s why I believe David would have liked the response of the people doing the work of democracy last Tuesday: poll workers getting up before the sun, voters standing in long lines, young adults making themselves aware of the issues, everyday Americans running for offices from governor to school board member, workers leaving the office early before the polls closed, so many making the effort to vote.

“Work got us where we are. Easy does it has never done it for us and never will. We are the beneficiaries of men and women who toiled ten, twelve hours a day on farms, on railroads, in mines, in mills, at kitchen sinks and drafting tables. We like to work; we judge one another by how well we work, because at heart we are an extremely industrious, creative people.”

And in another observation that fits our time, he implored us not to expect politicians to solve our problems for us which he characterized as “another lesson from the past.”

“History shows that Congress acts when the country wants action. Leadership takes charge in Washington when it is clear the country will accept nothing less. The sweeping reforms enacted at the start of the twentieth century—limits on child labor, women’s suffrage, protection of our natural resources—all came about because the country demanded such change. And the same was true during the next great upswelling of progressive action in Congress, in the early 1930s, when Social Security, rural electrification, and the minimum wage were established . . .

If we don’t vote, if we are unwilling to pay taxes, or even to take part in the census, then what good are we as citizens? What will history say of us?”

What will history say, indeed.

I was thinking about the work we have to do as citizens not only in the context of elections, but as we approach November 11th, long known as Armistice or Remembrance Day. Originally we commemorated the end of what was known as The Great War, which came to a close on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month. Kurt Vonnegut famously wrote of Armistice Day in the preface to Breakfast of Champions.

“It was during that minute in nineteen hundred and eighteen, that millions upon millions of human beings stopped butchering one another. I have talked to old men who were on battlefields during that minute. They have told me in one way or another that the sudden silence was the Voice of God. So we still have among us some men who can remember when God spoke clearly to mankind.”

Of course another war came after that war to end all wars, and we have places such as Normandy Beach to remember the hard work—and ultimate sacrifice—of so many to defend America and our democratic way of life.

McCullough’s masterful essay on what it takes to be an American citizen ends with the admonition:

“We are what we do. The test will be in what we value, what we want.”

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The editors also include a delightful interview that McCullough gave to The Paris Review, one which shows the character of the man that permeates this new book. In it he spoke lovingly of his work on the history of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, comments that brought back this personal memory.

A few short weeks after the trauma of 9/11, David—who was a proud trustee of the National Trust for Historic Preservation—gave the keynote address at the National Trust conference in Providence, Rhode Island, gracing us with the memorable speech included in an earlier collection of essays: The American Spirit.

I was alone backstage with David before he went out to remind us of who we are and what we believe as Americans. He could have said he needed this time to collect his thoughts. Instead, he wanted to talk. David McCullough was, first and foremost, interested in people. I mentioned that while I had difficulty selecting a favorite from among his many works, my father had no such problem. An engineer, Tom Brown loved his book on the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, a fact which delighted David to no end. He told me that it was one of his favorite books to write.

That day, in a room behind the sanctuary of The First Baptist Church in America, we discussed the Brooklyn Bridge as well as his recent study of John Adams. David offered to sign a copy of the former for my father and the latter for me, a generous gift I will always treasure.

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There is so much to love and cherish in this new book of David’s essays. Works about the American painter Thomas Eakins and the writer Harriet Beecher Stowe enrich our understanding of their times and bring to light individuals who many of us know—if at all—from one or two touchpoints: perhaps Eakin’s The Gross Clinic or Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. His commentary on George Washington is a masterclass in understanding what matters in life. In a long essay on Harry Truman, McCullough wrote that “character counts in the presidency more than any other single quality,” and that “a president with a sense of history is less prone to hubris.”

Let those two thoughts sit in your mind for a while.

I loved David’s lists of favorite and influential books.* When he reminds me of the power of the letters of Flannery O’Connor, I go straight to my bookshelf and pull out my volume to read in the coming days. When David writes . . .

. . . “I love beginnings. I love the beginning of books. I love the beginning of All the King’s Men with Robert Penn Warren’s description of Highway 58 in the night” . . .

. . . I pull my dog-eared paperback from my college days off the shelf and read the first two pages and marvel at the language.

And who would have guessed that Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss was a McCullough favorite?

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David’s remarks from the commencement address to the graduating class of 2018 at Providence College are a wonderful template not just for life, but for the work—the effort—we all have ahead to keep the spirit, the idea, of America alive.

“Be generous. Give of yourselves. Count kindness as all-important in life. Take interest in those around you. Try to keep in mind that everyone you encounter along the way, no matter their background or station in life, knows something you don’t. Get in the habit of asking people about themselves, their lives, their interests, and listen to them. It’s amazing what you can learn by listening.

Remember that speaking the truth, loyalty, decency, courage, and character all count. All matter greatly still, indeed, count more now than ever. We as a nation are experiencing serious bumps in the road. Don’t get discouraged, don’t give up. We’ve known worse times and come through, and we will now if we never forget who we are and what we stand for. The world needs you . . . there’s work to be done. Let’s never lapse into being spectators only. If you’re going to ring the bell, give that rope one hell of a pull.”

Last Tuesday, millions did the work of democracy, doing their small but essential part to ensure that history will look back favorably on our ringing of the bell in these times.

We are what we do.

More to come . . .

DJB

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*In my personal list of influential books posted in 2014, I have several that were also on David’s list, plus there is one—no surprise—that was written by David McCullough.

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Image of David McCullough at work from his Facebook page. Polling station image from Pixabay.