History shows America there’s a way past our divisions

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In 1776, the insightful Thomas Paine wrote:

"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph ... "

Fueled by this sentiment, the founders pressed their case for independence while fully aware that if they failed, they were sure to hang. Nevertheless, they persisted, outmanned and outgunned all while trying to convince a populace that included skeptics and monarchists that they could win despite the odds; that freedom was worth the risk.

Contrary to the myth, they were not of one mind on how to achieve this goal. In many instances, they made difficult choices in the midst of vigorous disagreement. The compromise on slavery, for instance, would come to haunt and nearly destroy the country.

In short, the current place in which we find ourselves isn't exactly new. We know this by the events that have taken place since Paine published that prescient quote.

If you're feeling frustrated about the current state of things, if you have anxiety over what is to come and if it sometimes feels like the country is in a constant state of hysteria, read some history because it will teach you that we've been there, done that.

History serves to remind us that if the election of 2024 is indeed one of the most important in history as some have coined it, this is not our first crucible.

In his compelling book, "Lincoln of the Verge: Thirteen Days to Washington," historian Ted Widmer details the 16th president's post-election train ride to the inauguration amidst the threat of Southern secession.

It was a journey rife with threats to his life of which Lincoln was aware but had decided that the idea of America was one worth dying for.

The route began in Springfield, Illinois, and included small towns and large in Indiana, Ohio (Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Alliance), Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and finally Maryland, a hotbed of Confederate sympathizers.

Yet even as Lincoln strove to keep a divided house from tearing asunder, he managed to build the Transcontinental Railroad, underscoring our national talent for doing big things.

The American Revolution and Lincoln's journey underscore the primary purpose of history, namely that Americans have always managed to overcome what were thought to be insurmountable challenges, including some that threatened the country's very existence.

Some of the history which imparts this lesson isn't even that ancient. The "American Century," named so because of our sheer dominance, began with a presidential assassination in 1901.

Yet three years later, we supervised the start of the Panama Canal, a milestone that transformed world transportation.

We weathered an influenza pandemic that killed millions, yet at the same time became a deciding force in winning World War I. We enshrined women's right to vote. We survived a crippling economic depression in the 1930s and built the Hoover Dam, one of the wonders of the modern world.

In the 1940s, we helped to lead and win the global fight against Nazism. In the 1950s, we upended McCarthyism and its scare tactics as a group of ordinary Americans demanded that the country live up to its declaration that, "All men are created equal," by upholding their constitutional rights, and they did it without firing a shot.

In the 1960s, we found ourselves embroiled in a conflict of someone else's making a world away, all while weathering the murder of a fourth president, a U.S. senator, and three civil rights leaders.

Yet, we also placed men on the moon.

In the 1970s, we thwarted a president's attempts to subvert the law. In the 1980s, we initially struggled with, but ultimately became a leader in, the cause of finding an effective treatment for HIV/AIDS.

The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, produced the opposite of their intended effect, as did the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2024, the latter of which has spurred a renewed awareness of democracy's fragility.

Our vigorous disagreement over all things social and political is the mark of a healthy system that enshrines its citizens' right to free expression, and an equal voice by way of the voting booth.

When in the throes of division, we must never fail to keep in mind that we share more commonalities, among them, a love for this country and a desire to see it thrive, succeed and move forward.

Never forget that the same nation which codified slavery and Jim Crow, also elected Barack Obama, and has a woman standing at the top of a presidential ticket.

So if you're feeling worried and unsure about tomorrow, read about our yesterdays. The works of David McCullough, John Hope Franklin, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Annette Gordon-Reed, Candice Millard, Jon Meacham, Ken Burns, and even Alexis de Tocqueville demonstrate that fiction cannot begin to compete with the narrative of a country as miraculous as it is formidable.

History is just another way of telling us that if our forefathers could find a way forward, so can we.

Charita M. Goshay is a Canton Repository staff writer and member of the editorial board. Reach her at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @cgoshayREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: America withstood many tests. This, too, shall pass, Charita Goshay

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