The alt-right, QAnon, paramilitary and Donald Trump-supporting mob that stormed the United States Capitol on January 6 claimed they were only doing what the so-called “founding fathers” of the US had done in 1776: overthrowing an illegitimate government that no longer represented them.
This was the start of what they called the “second American Revolution”.
This is why the “Don’t Tread on Me” flag was visible in the chaos – a symbol of resistance that dates back to the (first) American Revolution and was resurrected a decade ago by Republican Tea Party activists.
It is not hard to understand the appeal of this history to Trump’s followers. The era of the “founding fathers” has always loomed large in the minds of most Americans. And stories about the past are, after all, how individuals, families and communities small and large, make sense of themselves.
Yet, it is worth noting these recollections of the past are necessarily selective.
How do we decide…
