Americans appear to be deeply divided. But we found a different story traveling the U.S.

We’re often told Americans are historically divided. Yet the two of us — a Democrat and a Republican — witnessed something else while traveling together across 44 states and almost 20,000 miles of road.

Out there, we saw firsthand how Americans are more empathetic and less dogmatic than many are inclined to believe. Beneath the polarized rhetoric, people care about their fellow citizens, are bewildered by the hostility all around them, and want many of the same things out of our democracy.

We certainly heard the “war of words” that...