Historical Truth

Bottom Line Up Front: We will ensure Colorado’s students learn the whole truth: the freedom philosophy of the Founders, the sacrifices of our veterans, the civil rights movement’s fulfillment of founding promises, and Colorado’s own state history (including both proud moments and tragedies like Sand Creek). We oppose indoctrination that America is irredeemable; instead, we teach factual history that America has repeatedly corrected wrongs through its constitutional mechanisms – a testament to our founding ideals. In public forums, we will safeguard historical monuments and names from unjustified removal. Rather than tearing down, we can add plaques or context to educate. Historical truth is the bedrock of informed patriotism, and we will defend it in Colorado’s schools, museums, and public squares.

a. Biblical & Historical Foundations: “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free,” Jesus taught. We believe in Historical Truth – telling our nation’s story accurately, without revision or censoring of facts to fit a political narrative. The Bible’s chronicles, with all their triumphs and failures of God’s people, model honesty in recording history. Similarly, America’s history has shining ideals and dark chapters; we grow stronger by confronting both truthfully. Our Founders insisted on teaching future generations the true principles of the Revolution – that all men are created equal and liberty comes from God – so that these truths would not be lost. We reject attempts to rewrite American history to undermine patriotism or to ignore the faith and values that shaped us. Historical truth also means learning from our mistakes (e.g. slavery, mistreatment of Native Americans) in context and without indicting the core principles that eventually corrected those wrongs.

​

b. Constitutional & Educational Justification: A free people require truthful education. The First Amendment protects open inquiry and debate, which undergirds honest history. We support curricula that include the Declaration, Constitution, and original sources so students learn directly from the record. As originalists, we value historical evidence of the Founders’ intent – which requires preserving historical truth. We oppose the “memory-holing” of documents or the anachronistic judging of historical figures solely by today’s standards. Instead, we present them in full – their context, their beliefs, their contributions – so that we may understand our laws’ foundations. The integrity of our legal system relies on respecting historical truth: for instance, originalism uses historical meaning; if history is distorted, so is law.

​

c. Colorado Policy Conflicts: In Colorado, as in many states, history education has become a battleground. Recent state curriculum revisions have at times overemphasized divisive theories (like portraying America’s founding in 1619 or teaching that our nation is defined only by oppression) while downplaying 1776 and the heroism of striving for a “more perfect Union.” For example, Colorado replaced Columbus Day with a different holiday and has seen movements to remove or rename historical monuments, sometimes without proper context. While we should always seek to include previously marginalized voices in history, we should not do so by erasing foundational ones. We also note recent legislation (like 2019’s HB19-1192) mandating inclusion of minority group contributions in history curricula – a noble aim – but such efforts should supplement, not supplant, the central narrative of America’s creed and accomplishments.