Hughes, Richard T

"Six myths lie at the heart of the American experience. Taken as aspirational, four of those myths remind us of our noblest ideals, challenging us to realize our nation's promise while galvanizing the sense of hope and unity we need to reach our goals. Misused, these myths allow for illusions of innocence that fly in the face of white supremacy, the primal American myth that stands at the heart of all the others"--Publisher.

Specifies five major myths that are paramount to the American experience, among them the myth of the Chosen Nation, the myth of the Christian Nation, and the myth of the Innocent Nation. Argues that by accepting these myths America risks the "egalitarian promise" of the Declaration of Independence.