BRET BAIER: This July Fourth, let’s find awe in the places that tell America’s story

When I went retired into the state to speech astir "The Case for America," my publication celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary, it was an immersion experience. The superior of our state is successful Washington, D.C., and that’s wherever I’ll beryllium connected July 4. But the bosom of America lies crossed the federation — "from the mountains to the prairies to the oceans achromatic with foam," successful the large American outdoors.

To acquisition our immense onshore is ever inspiring. It puts things successful perspective. Our differences look to slice distant erstwhile they’re acceptable against specified a expansive backdrop. Recently, I had an accidental connected my "Common Ground" podcast to speech with 2 congressmen — Arkansas Republican Bruce Westerman and California Democrat Jared Huffman — astir their bill, the Great American Outdoors Act 250, an enhancement of the 2020 Great American Outdoors Act, which would put $1.9 cardinal annually successful nationalist parks, nationalist lands and Bureau of Indian Education facilities. Dozens of American institutions enactment the bill, which has received enthusiastic bipartisan support.

Bipartisan bills are besides successful the tone of America. And we don’t deliberation astir it a lot, but the nationalist parks play a cardinal relation successful the American story. There are 63 of them, successful 33 states and territories. Last twelvemonth alone, 323 cardinal radical visited a nationalist park.

TRUMP TAKES INAUGURAL FLIGHT ABOARD NEW AIR FORCE ONE AHEAD OF LIBRARY DEBUT HONORING FAMED OUTDOORSMAN

The histrion Kevin Costner, a passionate conservationist, testified earlier the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee successful enactment of the Great American Outdoors Act 250.

Fox News anchor Bret Baier and the publication screen for his latest publication 'A Case for America' (Fox News)

A passionate advocator for America’s nationalist lands, Costner spoke poetically astir their importance. "Nature sits successful silence. It's beautiful, it's awe-inspiring, and it's besides susceptible to our worst instincts. There's truly nary amended clip for america to reaffirm our committedness to these places that archer America's story. Conservation can't spend to beryllium a partisan issue."

In that vein, I’ve been reasoning astir President Teddy Roosevelt these days. He was possibly the nation’s top conservationist. His emotion of the American outdoors is among his astir important legacies. Roosevelt was the heartland president — and fewer places accidental American heartland similar Medora, North Dakota, the tract of the caller Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, which had its dedication ceremonial connected July 1.

WHITE HOUSE SEIZES ON DELAYED OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER OPENING TO CROWN TRUMP ‘BUILDER-IN-CHIEF’

President Trump flew successful for the occasion, delivering heartfelt words astir Roosevelt, saying, "We dedicate a surviving monument to a legend, statesman, soldier, frontiersman, and a existent American hero."

President Trump has often expressed his admiration for Roosevelt, particularly identifying with his forceful personality. It was meaningful that Trump chose the juncture to motion the Great American Outdoors Act Reauthorization wrong the museum.

How did Roosevelt, a New York City-bred lad of an elite family, extremity up uncovering a location and intent successful the Badlands of North Dakota? For Roosevelt, this pristine wilderness became a spot of healing aft the tragic deaths of his woman and mother.

BRET BAIER: WHY AMERICANS STILL BELIEVE OUR BEST DAYS ARE AHEAD, EVEN IN DIVIDED TIMES

He found, to his amazement, that the unspoiled quality of the onshore and the radical touched a chord heavy inside. He wasn’t determination agelong earlier helium admitted, "The state is increasing connected me."

He wrote, "One of the main attractions of the beingness of the wilderness is its rugged and stalwart democracy. There each antheral stands for what helium really is and tin amusement himself to be." He recovered this authenticity refreshing, and the manner healing. He acknowledged its difficulties but besides wrote, "We felt the bushed of hardy beingness successful our veins, and ours was the glory of enactment and the joyousness of living."

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, left; Theodore Roosevelt, right. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images; Bernard Friel/Getty Images)

Roosevelt went connected to execute greatness arsenic president, but helium ne'er mislaid his transportation to the land. North Dakota’s 70,000-acre Theodore Roosevelt National Park is simply a testament to that. Now it has been joined by the caller statesmanlike library, a task spearheaded by Interior Secretary and erstwhile Gov. Doug Burgum.

The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library volition person its expansive opening connected July 4. Visitors to the Medora room volition find an acquisition that not lone evokes Roosevelt’s big, bold personality, but besides has the feeling of coming location to Medora. It is the archetypal statesmanlike room to beryllium afloat digitized, making it easy accessible to each Americans, nary substance wherever they live. Burgum told maine the integer availability is intended to animate young visionaries crossed the state to beryllium engaged successful the arena, conscionable similar Teddy Roosevelt.

To the southbound of Medora is America’s stunning statesmanlike memorial, Mount Rushmore, which I’ve besides had the pleasance of visiting. On July 3, I’ll beryllium broadcasting "Special Report" unrecorded from the site.

I’d promote each Americans to find a mode to spot this monument successful person. Its vastness is hard to afloat picture successful words. Set successful the Black Hills of South Dakota, connected the highest peak, the sculpture is simply a 60-foot depiction of 4 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 highest wherever helium chose to carve, helium announced, "America volition march on that skyline." Today, much than 2 cardinal radical sojourn Mount Rushmore each year.

The busts of U.S. presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln operation implicit the Black Hills astatine Mount Rushmore National Monument connected July 2, 2020, adjacent Keystone, South Dakota. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Back successful Washington past week, I visited different iconic memorial setting, George Washington’s location astatine Mount Vernon. Since I past visited the tract successful 2023 for my statesmanlike biography of Washington, it has undergone a singular renovation. Touring the caller tract with Director Doug Bradburn was eye-opening. In each sense, it is simply a surviving memorial, a spot Americans tin bring their children for a amusive and acquisition interactive experience. This is the mode we physique the values of citizenship into our young people.

WORLD CUP SOCCER FANS ARE DISCOVERING AMERICA’S GREATNESS. IT’S TIME AMERICANS DID, TOO

Bradburn told maine determination had been a important uptick successful visitors to the caller facility. "People are coming," helium said. "I deliberation Americans are looking for answers to questions astir who we are and wherever we travel from. Places similar Mount Vernon are critical, due to the fact that kids person got to larn this stuff. They're not going to inherit it done their DNA. They worth 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 volition beryllium packed this summer, arsenic Americans question retired meaningful experiences of their past for the 250th.

I wrote "The Case for America" arsenic an ode to the nation, and among the astir gratifying outcomes has been the feedback of radical sharing their ain cases. When I asked radical to stock their videos, I was overwhelmed by the response, and I’ve aired immoderate of them connected my show. They screen a wide scope of topics, arsenic large arsenic the state — families, young people, subject veterans and a cross-section of radical sharing their emotion for our nation. Many of them are immigrants oregon children of immigrants, expressing gratitude and optimism. It’s an important reminder of however large the American structure is.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

A last thought. The 250th day happens to coincide with the World Cup being played successful the United States. This month, we’ve had a immense influx of sports fans from astir the world. 

Judging from their societal media posts and interviews, these planetary fans are falling successful emotion with America. We’ve seen them successful viral videos from the nationalist parks and different sites, and somehow, successful their sheer awe and enthusiasm, they’re capable to bespeak backmost to america the greatness we don’t ever see.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Let’s each find that infinitesimal of awe for ourselves this Fourth of July, arsenic we observe 250 years.

Editor's note: Bret Baier's fig 1 bestseller The Case for America: An Argument connected Behalf of Our Nation, celebrates America’s 250th. Baier is besides the writer of six bestselling statesmanlike 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."

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM BRET BAIER