The following Blog was written by Randall Cooley back in June of 2006 on another site. I found it very appropriate for our new site.

We find these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Declaration of Independence, 1776

With these words, articulated in a stuffy room in Philadelphia in the summer of 1776, a new breed of citizens known as Americans asserted their rights. The world’s most successful democracy emerged from decades of political injustice. It wasn’t perfect then, and it isn’t perfect now. The perspective that only time can give has proven that, even with its flaws, American democracy is still the best governing idea of the last 230 years. It has withstood challenges both from outside and within, and it has been strengthened with each test.

The growth of America’s democracy is told in the stories of the American people. These stories are set on a landscape that defies time, a place where each generation has found ways to survive. They are carefully nurtured in the hearts and minds of all Americans. The sharing of these stories is our heritage.

Every story depends on at least two people – someone has to tell it, and someone has to hear it. The simple, human act of sharing stories is the currency of heritage.

Much storytelling is extemporaneous. Neighbors and family come together to recount the tales of people, places, events and things that are meaningful to them. Some storytelling is elaborate, enhanced with images, sound and narration resulting from a great investment of creativity, time and money.

Between the everyday storytelling of home and the elaborate storytelling of stage and screen, a host of storytellers engage, entertain and educate both stranger and friend. Their labors are rewarded in many ways, sometimes with a paycheck, sometimes with little more than an appreciative smile, but always with the satisfaction of an important job well done.

The storytelling transaction has sustained many of the venues most important to America’s essential stories. Across the nation, historical sites, festivals, museums, parks and heritage organizations exist, a tribute to the passion of their storytellers and the support of their audiences. Often the potential of the storytelling transaction is not fully realized. America’s Stories, Incorporated (ASI) strives to improve the viability of heritage resources through the development of sustainable storytelling practices.