Grateful American® Foundation

Author David Bruce Smith and French-American Cultural Foundation’s Debra Dunn discuss Abigail & John

Debra Dunn, Executive Director of the French-American Cultural Foundation, Michael Poliakoff, President of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA), and David Bruce Smith, Founder and President of the Grateful American Foundation, recently got together to talk about Smith’s new children’s book, Abigail & John.

The conversation focused on the history of the nation, presidency of John Adams, the relationship between France and America over the centuries, and how to raise informed citizens who understand our history: its successes and failures.

Debra Dunn commented, “it’s an extraordinary history. They [the French] were some of our first immigrants. Many stayed. Many of the French that fought here decided to stay. So that was a beginning of another period too that Americans may not know. And of course, when you think about cultural trends, some of our first influences were brought, whether it was horticulture or it was wine or some music, literature, were brought over by Thomas Jefferson or were brought on some of the ships that were bringing back supplies. So some of those cultural influences came from the French and we’ve been building on it ever since…let’s look at our historical beginnings and then how culture flowed from that, and how it has continued over the past 300 years. There are so many things that are dear and important to Americans of all decades that have come from French influences.”

Listen to the interview >>

See the downloadable curriculums, including an integrated reading guide, an integrated art guide, and an assessment quiz to assist teachers in leading classroom discussions about the book. To further engage the reader, see the online multiple choice quiz.


Abigail & John is published by Liberty Bell Press, an imprint of the Pike and Powder Publishing Group, LLC.

EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information about Abigail & John, and additional interviews featuring the author, visit the Grateful American Book Series.

Abigail & John is published by Liberty Bell Press, an imprint of the Pike and Powder Publishing Group, LLC.

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