Them Before Us Podcast #098 | "Patriotism isn't Political" with Katie Broussard
Date: February 21, 2026
Host: Jennifer Friesen
Guest: Katie Broussard, Founder of The Littlest Statesman

Episode Overview

This episode explores the importance of cultivating patriotism in children, the current landscape of values-based children's literature, and the origins and mission behind Katie Broussard's "The Littlest Statesman" brand and her new children's book, The Great George Washington. The conversation deeply considers how to appropriately teach children about America's founding, address difficult topics like slavery, and promote a child-centric, truth-driven approach to history and values.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Katie Broussard’s Background & Inspiration

• Katie grew up in a politically engaged, patriotic family in California, with her father heavily involved in state politics (01:16).
• Her education at Hillsdale College, a classical liberal arts school, deepened her understanding and appreciation for America's foundation (01:40).
• The inspiration for her book series began with her daughter's curiosity about patriotic holidays, leading Katie to identify a lack in children’s literature teaching young kids about the nation’s founding (02:22).
  • Quote:
    “I started looking online...Googling all these books, and they don't really exist...nothing that's actually teaching our youngest children...about actually our founding.” — Katie (02:55)

2. The Littlest Statesman: Mission & Approach

• The first book, The Great George Washington, is written in rhyme and designed for ages 3–8, beautifully illustrated by Grace Vitale (04:02).
• The series aims not to be political but to instill patriotism, which Katie asserts is not inherently political (05:39).
• Upcoming books in the series will feature Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, John Adams, Paul Revere, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton (05:41).

Addressing Difficult Topics

• Katie discusses how her books handle America’s complexities (e.g., slavery) in an age-appropriate way, highlighting both the nation's flaws and its foundational ideals:
  • Quote:
    “America is great, not because we are perfect. We're not. We are in a broken world with sinful individuals running a country...But...there is a beauty in the ideas that this nation was founded upon.” — Katie (06:29)

3. Teaching History in Context

• The conversation emphasizes teaching kids both the admirable and flawed aspects of the founders and America's founding (05:15, 08:04).
• The hosts discuss how struggles over religious freedom, speech, and governance defined early America in ways entirely foreign to many around the world today (08:28, 09:12).
  • Quote:
    “These are conversations other people around the world don't even get to have.” — Jennifer (08:57)

4. Contemporary Challenges in Civic Education

• Both speakers note the proliferation of children’s books communicating values—sometimes in ways they view as inappropriate or propagandistic (04:09, 17:12).
• Concerns raised about the prevalence of politicized content in both books and schools, and the lack of resources that positively teach about America (04:57, 22:22).
• Katie critiques the current ethos of "everyone has their own truth," seeing it as an obstacle to shared civic values and understanding:
  • Quote:
    “Everyone has their own truth. There is no universal, a single truth. And so when everyone has their own truth, the whole ‘My Truth’ movement...we cannot come back to square one.” — Katie (14:44)

5. The Role of Families and Grassroots Action

• Katie emphasizes that cultivating patriotism and values must start at home, especially as public schools become increasingly politicized (19:53).
• Activities, books, crafts, and small daily acts are all ways to instill a love of country and foundational values in children (21:41).
  • Quote:
    “It starts in the home. It really does...cultivating the pursuit of the good and the true and the beautiful...Those little acts add up a lot.” — Katie (21:55)

6. Resources from The Littlest Statesman

• Katie's company offers not just books but apparel ("America 250 Year" sweatshirts), home goods, prints, mugs, puzzles, towels, and free downloadable family activities and lessons (22:14).
• The focus is on pursuing beauty, joy, and gratitude in daily life, while providing resources to help parents teach historical concepts to their children in age-appropriate ways (23:46).
  • Quote:
    “Everything that we're doing, we're trying to pursue beauty in order to expose our kids to the ultimate source of it.” — Katie (23:39)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Founders’ Flaws and Ideals:
  “They were writing things that were so far beyond their time...But we also need to teach them, why is this country so different?” — Katie (06:11)
• On Individual Truth vs. Shared Values:
  “It's really hard to conflate the two [my truth and the truth] when you've got people who can’t even come to a consensus on the most basic ideal...” — Katie (16:58)
• On the Family’s Role:
  “It’s grassroots. It really does begin in the home.” — Katie (19:56)
• On Teaching Values Properly:
  “There needs to be a resurgence of communicating values in a proper way...age appropriately, topic appropriately for age.” — Jennifer (18:00)
• On What Makes America Unique:
  “We are incredibly blessed as a nation. We are very fortunate. We are very rich...All these issues that we’re arguing about are very unique to our country.” — Katie (10:33)

Important Timestamps

• Katie's Background & Inspiration: 01:16–03:51
• Children’s Patriotic Books & Their Importance: 03:51–05:39
• Series Description & “Patriotism isn’t Political”: 05:39–08:04
• Addressing Flawed Founders & Slavery: 05:15–06:29
• The Uniqueness of American Freedoms: 08:04–10:33
• Role of Religious Values & Moral Foundations: 11:41–14:38
• Rise of “My Truth” Culture: 14:38–17:12
• Propaganda vs. Value Teaching: 17:12–18:22
• On Public Schools & Parental Responsibility: 19:53–21:55
• The Littlest Statesman Resources: 22:14–24:28

Final Takeaways

The episode calls for a renewed, family-centered approach to teaching children patriotism and foundational American values—one that acknowledges both our nation’s achievements and mistakes, stresses critical thinking, and resists both political propaganda and historical cynicism. Katie Broussard’s "The Littlest Statesman" emerges as a resource for parents seeking to reclaim this narrative, with tools, stories, and practical activities designed to make the American story accessible and inspiring to the youngest generations.

Where to Find The Littlest Statesman:

• Website: thelittleststatesman.com
• Social: @thelittlestatesman
• Free resources, crafts, and educational materials available online.