A Comparison of the Works of Latin Literature That Influenced British and American Political Figures Between 1700 and 1825

Modern Americans look to the Founding Fathers for advice and inspiration in a number of areas, including politics, law, and religion. In a time when there is an intense focus on the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and the study of the classical languages stands in a perilous situation, we can look back once more to the Founding Fathers to provide a foundation for the importance of the classical languages. The respect and importance that the Founding Fathers placed on the great works of Latin and Ancient Greek can help to support the relevance of Classics not only in the modern world, but also in American education, in particular. Furthermore, this paper, by demonstrating that the canon is not fixed, but changes with each new generation in each particular societal environment, should help all educators better understand and respond to the changes that have occurred and will occur in the American canon of Latin literature