Our idea of the Founders America and its values is not true We are not the heirs of the Founders but we can be the heirs of Reconstruction and its vision for equality There s a common story we tell about America that our fundamental values as a country were stated in the Declaration of Independence fought for in the Revolution and made law in the Constitution But with the country increasingly divided this story isn t working for us anymore what s more it s not even true As Kermit Roosevelt argues in this eye opening reinterpretation of the American story our fundamental values particularly equality are not part of the vision of the Founders Instead they were stated in Lincoln s Gettysburg Address and were the hope of Reconstruction when it was possible to envision the emergence of the nation committed to liberty and equality We face a dilemma these days We want to be honest about our history and the racism and oppression that Americans have both inflicted and endured But we want to be proud of our country too In The Nation That Never Was Roosevelt shows how we can do both those things by realizing we re not the country we thought we were Reconstruction Roosevelt argues was not a fulfillment of the ideals of the Founding but rather a repudiation we modern Americans are not the heirs of the Founders but of the people who overthrew and destroyed that political order This alternate understanding of American identity opens the door to a new understanding of ourselves and our story and ultimately to a better America America today is not the Founders America but it can be Lincoln s America Roosevelt offers a powerful and inspirational rethinking of our country s history and uncovers a shared past that we can be proud to claim and use as a foundation to work toward a country that fully embodies equality for all