July 7, 2024 by Betty Johnson

Over 140 years ago, in the middle of the “Gilded Age”, a progressive English professor from Wellesley College penned the words to “American the Beautiful”, inspired by her journey to Pike’s Peak in Colorado. Considered by many to be our unofficial national hymn, but often criticized for its glorification of America’s history, we will explore the deeper meanings of Katharine Lee Bate’s poem, the beauty in Samuel Ward’s hymn tune, and the lessons of goodness, brotherhood, and grace that this song can teach us in these troubled times.