This chapter examines how American symbols and historical stories are manipulated to support political ideologies, including beliefs in American exceptionalism, laissez-faire economics, racial tensions, and political violence. It also looks into the role of gun rights movements and the Second Amendment in justifying anti-government and vigilante actions.
We are a nation of mythmakers. But in his new book, "A Great Disorder: National Myth and the Battle for America," Richard Slotkin argues those myths may be to blame for our current polarization.