When my dad bought this set for me in 1976 from the Franklin Mint, I was not as interested in history as I am today. In fact, it’s safe to say that I hated history. But that’s because I didn’t get it. And I don’t think most young people get it. It’s not their fault, there’s a certain appeal to history that only becomes apparent when you’re older.
So what do we do to get young Americans interested in their history? Because this is not a problem unique to my generation, and guess what? Today’s young Americans have 50 more years of history to learn, so the problem just keeps getting worse the older our country gets. I don’t know the solution, but I can say this: I’m glad I’ve held onto this set of bronze medallions my entire life. They not only provide a decent timeline of the history of the United States, but they also remind me of my childhood, and my father.
When you search the internet for this set, you can find a number of people selling them, but nobody uses it for what it was intended: to teach young Americans their history. So I am going to attempt to change that with this series of posts. Just as I received these coins in 1976 – two coins at a time, each month for a full year – I will step through the collection and talk about the events they represent, as well as any connections to our own family history.
