Survey: Americans Don’t Know Their History

As the saying goes, “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it”, and most Americans…aren’t learning their history.

A nationwide survey conducted by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation reveals only 4 in 10 Americans can demonstrate
basic history understanding.

41,000 people were surveyed in this particular study.

Here’s more from the foundation’s news release, sent on President’s Day earlier this week;

The Foundation found that in the highest-performing state, only 53 percent of the people were able to earn a passing grade for U.S. history. 

People in every other state failed; in the lowest-performing state, only 27 percent were able to pass.

Rather more disturbing, only 27 percent of those under the age of 45 nationally were able to demonstrate a basic understanding of American history.

The survey found only 15 percent of American adults could correctly note the year the U.S. Constitution was written and only 25 percent knew how many amendments there are to the U.S. Constitution. Further, 25 percent did not know that freedom of speech was guaranteed under the First Amendment.

Upon completing this research, the foundation believes U.S. history education is due for a face lift.

The foundation asserts the subject matter is too often made boring and robbed of its capacity to help people make sense of a chaotic present and unknown future.

As a result, the Foundation is launching a major national initiative to transform how American history is learned today.

The Woodrow Wilson American History Initiative will offer experiential learning opportunities such as digital games, videos and graphic novels.

Hopefully this is a way we can get kids engaged in knowing their history — so they can help make their own even better.