BRET BAIER: This July Fourth, let’s find awe in the places that tell America’s story
When I went out into the country to talk about "The Case for America," my book celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary, it was an immersion experience. The capital of our country is in Washington, D.C., and that’s where I’ll be on July 4. But the heart of America lies across the nation — "from the mountains to the prairies to the oceans white with foam," in the great American outdoors.
To experience our vast land is always inspiring. It puts things in perspective. Our differences seem to fade away when they’re set against such a grand backdrop. Recently, I had an opportunity on my "Common Ground" podcast to talk with two congressmen — Arkansas Republican Bruce Westerman and California Democrat Jared Huffman — about their bill, the Great American Outdoors Act 250, an enhancement of the 2020 Great American Outdoors Act, which would invest $1.9 billion annually in national parks, public lands and Bureau of Indian Education facilities. Dozens of American institutions support the bill, which has received enthusiastic bipartisan support.
Bipartisan bills are also in the spirit of America. And we don’t think about it a lot, but the national parks play a fundamental role in the American story. There are 63 of them, in 33 states and territories. Last year alone, 323 million people visited a national park.
The actor Kevin Costner, a passionate conservationist, testified before the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee in support of the Great American Outdoors Act 250.
A passionate advocate for America’s public lands, Costner spoke poetically about their importance. "Nature sits in silence. It's beautiful, it's awe-inspiring, and it's also vulnerable to our worst instincts. There's really no better time for us to reaffirm our commitment to these places that tell America's story. Conservation can't afford to be a partisan issue."
In that vein, I’ve been thinking about President Teddy Roosevelt these days. He was perhaps the nation’s greatest conservationist. His love of the American outdoors is among his most important legacies. Roosevelt was the heartland president — and few places say American heartland like Medora, North Dakota, the site of the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, which had its dedication ceremony on July 1.
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President Trump flew in for the occasion, delivering heartfelt words about Roosevelt, saying, "We dedicate a living monument to a legend, statesman, soldier, frontiersman, and a true American hero."
President Trump has often expressed his admiration for Roosevelt, especially identifying with his forceful personality. It was meaningful that Trump chose the occasion to sign the Great American Outdoors Act Reauthorization inside the museum.
How did Roosevelt, a New York City-bred son of an elite family, end up finding a home and purpose in the Badlands of North Dakota? For Roosevelt, this pristine wilderness became a place of healing after the tragic deaths of his wife and mother.
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He found, to his amazement, that the unspoiled nature of the land and the people touched a chord deep inside. He wasn’t there long before he admitted, "The country is growing on me."
He wrote, "One of the chief attractions of the life of the wilderness is its rugged and stalwart democracy. There every man stands for what he actually is and can show himself to be." He found this authenticity refreshing, and the lifestyle healing. He acknowledged its difficulties but also wrote, "We felt the beat of hardy life in our veins, and ours was the glory of work and the joy of living."
Roosevelt went on to achieve greatness as president, but he never lost his connection to the land. North Dakota’s 70,000-acre Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a testament to that. Now it has been joined by the new presidential library, a project spearheaded by Interior Secretary and former Gov. Doug Burgum.
The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library will have its grand opening on July 4. Visitors to the Medora library will find an experience that not only evokes Roosevelt’s big, bold personality, but also has the feeling of coming home to Medora. It is the first presidential library to be fully digitized, making it easily accessible to all Americans, no matter where they live. Burgum told me the digital availability is intended to inspire young visionaries across the country to be engaged in the arena, just like Teddy Roosevelt.
To the south of Medora is America’s stunning presidential memorial, Mount Rushmore, which I’ve also had the pleasure of visiting. On July 3, I’ll be broadcasting "Special Report" live from the site.
I’d encourage all Americans to find a way to see this monument in person. Its vastness is hard to fully describe in words. Set in the Black Hills of South Dakota, on the highest peak, the sculpture is a 60-foot depiction of four presidents: George Washington, representing the nation’s birth; Thomas Jefferson, representing the nation’s growth; Theodore Roosevelt, representing the nation’s development; and Abraham Lincoln, representing the nation’s preservation. When the sculptor Gutzon Borglum spotted the peak where he chose to carve, he announced, "America will march along that skyline." Today, more than 2 million people visit Mount Rushmore every year.
Back in Washington last week, I visited another iconic memorial setting, George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon. Since I last visited the site in 2023 for my presidential biography of Washington, it has undergone a remarkable renovation. Touring the new site with Director Doug Bradburn was eye-opening. In every sense, it is a living memorial, a place Americans can bring their children for a fun and educational interactive experience. This is the way we build the values of citizenship into our young people.
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Bradburn told me there had been a significant uptick in visitors to the new facility. "People are coming," he said. "I think Americans are looking for answers to questions about who we are and where we come from. Places like Mount Vernon are critical, because kids have got to learn this stuff. They're not going to inherit it through their DNA. They value what their parents value, what their grandparents value, what their schools value. And so, it's important that these places are populated." I expect Mount Vernon will be packed this summer, as Americans seek out meaningful experiences of their history for the 250th.
I wrote "The Case for America" as an ode to the nation, and among the most gratifying outcomes has been the feedback of people sharing their own cases. When I asked people to share their videos, I was overwhelmed by the response, and I’ve aired some of them on my show. They cover a wide range of topics, as big as the country — families, young people, military veterans and a cross-section of people sharing their love for our nation. Many of them are immigrants or children of immigrants, expressing gratitude and optimism. It’s an important reminder of how big the American tent is.
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A final thought. The 250th anniversary happens to coincide with the World Cup being played in the United States. This month, we’ve had a huge influx of sports fans from around the world.
Judging from their social media posts and interviews, these global fans are falling in love with America. We’ve seen them in viral videos from the national parks and other sites, and somehow, in their sheer awe and enthusiasm, they’re able to reflect back to us the greatness we don’t always see.
Let’s all find that moment of awe for ourselves this Fourth of July, as we celebrate 250 years.
Editor's note: Bret Baier's number one bestseller The Case for America: An Argument on Behalf of Our Nation, celebrates America’s 250th. Baier is also the author of six bestselling presidential biographies, including "To Rescue the American Spirit: Teddy Roosevelt and the Birth of a Superpower;" and "To Rescue the Constitution: George Washington and the Fragile American Experiment."