Neil Gorsuch tells St. Louis students: ‘You’re America’s best hope’

By Cristina Cabrera Jarro -

PINECREST| Students at St. Louis Covenant School got a firsthand lesson in American history May 11, 2026, when U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and co-author Janie Nitze visited the campus to present their new book, “Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence.” The visit was made possible by independent bookstore Books & Books.

The duo was welcomed to the patriotically adorned Monsignor Fetcher Fellowship Center by students in fourth through eighth grade, as well as faculty and staff.

“I can’t believe all the decorations. What a wonderfully warm welcome,” Gorsuch said.

 

A lesson in history comes to campus

Gorsuch and Nitze viewed student projects ranging from essays and fictional Instagram-style posts about colonial America to Liberty Bell mosaic art and more. They commended teachers for making patriotic learning a cross-curricular experience.

“I was so impressed. I saw bits about Caesar Rodney. I saw the Stamp Act. I mean, you’re teaching this stuff,” Gorsuch told teachers.

MaryLee Parker, St. Louis middle school social studies teacher, said creativity and teamwork among educators were key to getting students excited about America’s 250th anniversary.

“It’s not just about memorization. You have to make it fun and interactive,” Parker said.

The visit from Gorsuch and Nitze was an added bonus.

“I am excited for the students that they can witness living history,” said Christina Izquierdo, director of curriculum and instruction at St. Louis. “What are the chances that they will meet a sitting Supreme Court justice during their lifetime?”

 

Izquierdo said there is no greater satisfaction for students and educators than studying a subject and seeing it in real life. “It makes such an impact. It’s not just in a book. It’s really in front of me,” she said.

While American history, civics and social studies are part of the school’s curriculum, students also studied Justice Gorsuch in preparation for the visit.

“We’ve been working really hard on understanding who is visiting us and his importance by going over the branches of government and the Constitution,” said fourth-grade teacher Katharine Orona.

Mackenzie Alvarez, a fourth-grader, shared details she learned about Gorsuch.

“He went to three universities: Columbia, Harvard and Oxford,” Mackenzie said. “I want to learn more about him and his life. I’m really excited to see him because I’ve never seen him in person.”

 

Bringing the Declaration to a new generation

Minutes later, Mackenzie sat among her classmates as Gorsuch and Nitze presented “Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence.” They explained why the document still matters for children learning about the nation’s founding today.

The United States marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, with celebrations planned nationwide to commemorate the nation's founding.

Gorsuch noted that as America’s 250th anniversary approaches, celebrations will include parades, fireworks and other patriotic festivities.

“All of that is great,” he said. “But Janie and I thought maybe it might be a moment in time to reflect, too, on the Declaration.”

“Heroes of 1776” introduces a new generation to the principles behind American independence while revisiting them for readers familiar with the story. The authors emphasize the Declaration’s core ideals: equality, God-given rights and government by the consent of the governed.

“Those ideas were incredibly radical in 1776. They’re still pretty radical around the world today,” said Gorsuch.

The authors also aimed to tell the story as it was told by those who lived it.

“Do you guys like superheroes?” Gorsuch asked.

After an enthusiastic “Yes” from students, he said, “Our history has superheroes in it—people who actually made the Declaration possible. Men, women and children who sacrificed a great deal during eight years of the Revolution.”

 

The forgotten heroes of 1776 

While George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and others appear in “Heroes of 1776,” readers also meet lesser-known patriots of colonial America, including Richard Lloyd Jones, a 10-year-old fifer in the Continental Army, and Emily Geiger, who served as a messenger during the American Revolution.

The Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 delegates, but only four are widely known.

“We wanted to tell some of the stories of the forgotten signers,” Nitze said. “It was really their courage and their sacrifice that brought about the Declaration and then this nation.”

She recounted the story of Caesar Rodney, a Delaware delegate and signer who, despite severe asthma and cancer, rode 80 miles overnight through a thunderstorm to Philadelphia to cast his state’s deciding vote.“

In a letter, he wrote, ‘I arrived on July 2 at Independence Hall, soaking wet, muddy, but just in time to break the vote for independence,’” Nitze said.

Another early patriot, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Maryland, made history as the only Catholic signer of the Declaration.

At a time when Catholics faced discrimination in many of the American colonies, Carroll’s prominent role in the independence movement highlighted the contributions of Catholics to the nation’s founding.

The first public copies of the Declaration of Independence listed only the names of Congress President John Hancock and Secretary Charles Thomson. In 1777, after the Continental Congress relocated to Baltimore following the British takeover of Philadelphia, a second printing was released that included the names of the signers.

“They had feared for their lives, and they still feared for their lives. But they thought it was time to make public who they were,” Nitze said.

This version included an additional name: Mary Katherine Goddard, the official printer of the Continental Congress.

“She’s one of the forgotten heroes that we talk about in the book. She risked her life just as they risked their lives,” Nitze said.

An illustration of Goddard at her printing press examining copies of the Declaration appears in “Heroes of 1776.” The historic scene—and others throughout the book—were illustrated by Chris Ellison.

“I think he played a really central role in ensuring that these stories were made vivid and real for kids,” Nitze said.

Published by HarperCollins, Gorsuch and Nitze offer 48 pages of American history intended to inspire readers during this year’s semiquincentennial anniversary.

“We really thought it was important to tell the humanity of the story, and the people behind it, for kids to know and remember that the Declaration of Independence, and our nation,were not inevitable,” Nitze said.

She added that it took sacrifice and courage to establish the United States, and that each generation is responsible for safeguarding its ideals and working toward a more perfect union.

Gorsuch told St. Louis students, “Someday, not too long from now, the Declaration is going to be in your hands, and the torch is going to be passed to you.”

He encouraged students to help others along the way and aim high.

“You’re the best hope for America,” he said.