<em>The Atlantic</em>’s July Issue: How to Tell the American Story
Article excerpt
The Atlantic marks America's 250th anniversary with a symbolic cover choice: Julia Ward Howe's "Battle Hymn of the Republic," originally published in 1862. The July issue centers on how to tell the American story, reprinting the Civil War-era poem that became an anthem for the Union cause. By reviving Howe's words during the nation's semiquincentennial, the magazine positions historical memory and artistic expression as central to understanding American identity.
For its July issue, on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the United States, The Atlantic considers how to tell the American story, with contributions from its staff writers and editors, including Yoni Appelbaum, Ian Bogost, Sally Jenkins, Idrees Kahloon, Adrienne LaFrance, Helen Lewis, Jake Lundberg, Clint Smith, and Caity Weaver. In an editor’s note for the issue, editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg writes: “You will see in this issue (and, I hope, in everything we do) that our journalists are engaged in worthwhile struggles with the meaning, promise, achievements, and shortcomings of our singular nation … The ambition of The Atlantic’s founders was that this magazine would be the preeminent home for arguments about the American idea, and that we would endeavor to tell the truth about the grandness of America as well as its imperfections. That ambition animates this issue, and all of our journalism.”
On the cover, The Atlantic is publishing Julia Ward Howe’s “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” which was written for The Atlantic and first ran in the February 1862 issue. In an accompanying piece, staff writer and in-house historian Jake Lundberg unearths the history of the “Battle Hymn”, written to prepare the Union and its soldiers for the terrible fight ahead, and what it says about America itself. Lundberg writes that the poem is both an explication of the promise of America and an exhortation to persevere on behalf of the country. The “Battle Hymn,” Lundberg argues, is our unofficial national anthem, one more relevant through the ages than the actual anthem. “By the time of the Great Depression,” he writes, “the ‘Battle Hymn’ had achieved a truly national character. The song’s stature is such that it can be used to make a statement in a way that the official anthem never can.”
In a feature published today, deputy executive editor Yoni Appelbaum examines the tortured debate, inside and outside the academy, over how to tell the American story. He writes about the special challenge inherent in unifying a polarized nation around a common understanding of our history. “For more than two centuries, our creedal nationalism has been a source of strength, binding together Americans of diverse faiths and backgrounds,” Yoni writes. “But lately, we have discovered that it is also a vulnerability.”
In an article coming tomorrow, Clint Smith explores the betrayal of Black military officers, calling out the forces of reaction for misunderstanding the nature of patriotism. For the story, he interviews two dozen currently enlisted, civilian, and retired Black members of the military across the armed forces, writing, “Person after person told me they have watched in dismay as a new administration has diminished and erased a proud history.”
These are joined by additional feature stories that will publish this week, including Sally Jenkins on the origins of American sports culture in the Revolution; Helen Lewis on why Americans love heraldry; Idrees Kahloon on how Britain became as poor as Mississippi; Caity Weaver on America’s culture of thrifting; and Ian Bogost on the 747, which he deems the pinnacle of American engineering.
The Atlantic’s July issue is publishing this week at TheAtlantic.com. Please reach out with any questions or requests.
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