Earlier last month, we lost the much-beloved historian David McCullough, known for his narrative history of presidents and pioneers. He had a talent for making his writing leap off the page and bringing historical accounts to life. He is famously known for his triumph, which earned him the Pulitzer Prize in the biography Truman. Additionally, McCullough spent another decade researching the life of the second President of the United States, John Adams, which resulted in another Pulitzer Prize. Both biographies are masterpieces that revolve around the theme of civic virtue. Let’s take a moment to discuss civic virtue. McCullough dedicated a significant portion of both books to outline the importance of civic virtue to both men. Civic virtue, in short, is prioritizing the good of society over oneself. Moreover, Truman and Adams practiced a miniature Republican version of civic virtue, where the emphasis was on the community rather than the state. McCullough’s legacy will be one of elevating history and making it more accessible to the average reader. Here’s an example of a 1991 interview David McCullough did for the book TV Network that focused on the chapter about Citizen Truman.
