Are Americans a People with a Creed, or a Creed-Made People?

Eminent historian Gordon Wood, in remarks given at the American Enterprise Institute’s annual prize dinner that were reprinted in the Wall Street Journal, made the case that America is a creedal nation. Though he didn’t mention JD Vance by name, it’s hard not to notice that Wood was engaging with an argument popularized by the vice president in his 2024 nomination speech.

People have tried to say that Vance in some way denigrated American ideals when he said that we’re not just a creedal project but also a true nation, a people with a shared history. From Vance’s speech:

Eminent historian Gordon Wood, in remarks given at the American Enterprise Institute’s annual prize dinner that were reprinted in the Wall Street Journal, made the case that America is a creedal nation. Though he didn’t mention JD Vance by name, it’s hard not to notice that Wood was engaging with an argument popularized by the vice president in his 2024 nomination speech.

People have tried to say that Vance in some way denigrated American ideals when he said that we’re not just a creedal project but also a true nation, a people with a shared history. From Vance’s speech: