c/politics · by MicroWave@lemmy.world · 41d

Nearly half of Americans don’t know what they’re celebrating on July 4, poll finds

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/july-4-americans-patriots-poll-b3008545.html

Many of those polled failed to correctly answer basic questions about American independence and the Constitution

Nearly half of Americans don’t know what they’re celebrating on the Fourth of July, according to a shocking poll.

July 4 marks the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, but 46% of Americans and 61% of Gen Zers couldn’t tell you that, the Cato Institute's national survey found.

Celebrations are taking place across the country this holiday weekend, but many Americans failed to correctly answer basic questions about the history of U.S. independence and the Constitution in the poll of 2,253 Americans aged 18 and older.

288 points · 68 comments · view on lemmy.world

68 Comments

iknewitwhenisawit@fedinsfw.app · 76 pts · 41d (6 replies)

Hold it, is learning any history considered woke now? 🤔

aceshigh@lemmy.world · 48 pts · 41d (1 reply)

Learning is woke.

quick_snail@feddit.nl · 1 pts · 41d

I mean, it literary is.

adarza@lemmy.ca · 24 pts · 41d

republicant education policies are working as intended.

stringere@sh.itjust.works · 20 pts · 41d

Civics education in the USA has been on the decline since the 1960s. That was further sped up with the focus on STEM over everything else. Some time in the late 90s/00s they stopped requiring a civics class as a high school requirement at all.

This was not accidental. Our education system has been under attacm since wealthy conservatives found out reality has a liberal bias because conservatism is based on fear and ignorance.

IAmYouButYouDontKnowYet@reddthat.com · 7 pts · 41d

Just scroll, watch the TV and news, and listen to music specifically manufactured and marketed to keep you on the path that allows you to be a usable asset to their agendas. Right or left as long as one is using America's foundation as their foundation this will be life.

It's not about freedom of the human species, it's about business and conquest of the species. You can see the reflection of this in everything "we" do.

Zachariah@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 41d

they’re allowed to learn history as long as it’s in the bible

jtrek@startrek.website · 68 pts · 41d (6 replies)

Despite civic ignorance, overwhelming majorities are grateful (86%) and proud (79%) to be Americans. Most also believe America is a land of opportunity (61%), and even more believe the American Dream (74%) is available to them personally.

big lol

tburkhol@slrpnk.net · 26 pts · 41d

The US has a choose-your-own-adventure history.

We're a country that welcomes the huddled masses yearning to breathe free, where the pioneer spirit brings people together to build thriving communities away from the aristocrats and oligarchs, and you can be whatever you strive for. Life may be hard, but I've got my people, and we're doing the best we can.

We're also a country of 'good' Christians, where geographic isolation protects us from threat of invasion or immigration, and allows only the smartest, most ambitious, and wealthiest people to exploit abundant natural resources and desperate labor force for fantastic personal gain.

newton@feddit.online · 3 pts · 41d

💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩enshittification in progress

binarytobis@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 41d (1 reply)

Without any research whatsoever, I’m pretty sure those numbers are entirely made up. Or they worded the questions differently.

JigglySackles@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 39d

Worded differently and to a very specific subset of people

M137@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 41d

The brainwashing machine works, sadly.

JigglySackles@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 39d

I swear they only polled magats

MrSelfDestruct@piefed.zip · 47 pts · 41d (5 replies)

The day we fought back the aliens. WELCOME TO EARTH

PancakesCantKillMe@lemmy.world · 21 pts · 41d (4 replies)

“Welcome to Earf!”

PrimeErective@startrek.website · 4 pts · 41d (1 reply)

He pronounces it "Earth" quite clearly in the film

WindyRebel@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 41d

I’m convinced they fixed it for newer versions. I saw this in theaters and even VHS rentals and I always remember “Earf”. It was an often quoted line in that very respect because that’s what we all heard.

Zachariah@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 41d (1 reply)

Barfolomew

PancakesCantKillMe@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 41d

That’s a great movie! Looking forward to the sequel!

punkcoder@lemmy.world · 46 pts · 41d (2 replies)

For those of you not aware of the fundamental bias in this statement, the CATO institute is a far right think tank funded by the Koch Brothers. They would rather say that America is dumb than admit that american policies are a failure.

scops@reddthat.com · 10 pts · 41d (1 reply)

It's also published by the Independent, which recently posted a bullshit story where they claimed the average boomer had $42k in student loan debt.

I take any of their headlines with a pile of salt.

Steve@startrek.website · 3 pts · 41d

Good thing its impossible to actually read the story under the ad bukake

spacehulk@lemmy.zip · 34 pts · 41d

Dismantling public education is going as planned

Duckingold@lemmy.world · 32 pts · 41d (7 replies)

In case no one has seen the study, the issue is people don't know which part of the revolution is tied to independence day, not they are clueless of what is going on.

In multiple choice responses were:

53% Adoption of Declaration of Independance

23% unsure

8% Ratification of Constitution

6% Victory of the Revolutionary War

5% Election of first President

3% Prilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock

1% Founding of Jamestown

Ava@piefed.blahaj.zone · 14 pts · 41d

It's worse, they didn't actually ask about the 4th.

"To the best of your knowledge, which of the following best describes what America's 250th anniversary commemorates?"

Yeah the 4th is the day, but plenty of people might reasonably be less certain given the options listed and the fact that the anniversary has been talked about in general terms in the media for weeks.

taiyang@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 41d (2 replies)

I appreciate the 23% willing to just admit they don't know, and the 8% are kind of close. That 3% who things pilgrims are why can fuck off, though.

halloween_spookster@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 41d (1 reply)

I guess it depends on how you define "kinda close" since the Constitution didn't start getting drafted until a decade later

mushroommunk@lemmy.today · 4 pts · 41d

Except if your read the actual survey questions they don't ask about the 4th. They ask what "America's 250th anniversary celebration" is about. And any of the answers is valid then

NABDad@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 41d

Well, I guess you can be glad more than half got it right.

uberfreeza@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 41d

I knew there had to be an issue with the study. I have very little faith in America, but unless they polled 1-year-olds, there's no way so many people wouldn't understand what's it's at least about, even if not what specifically. Especially after so much 250th birthday advertising.

binarytobis@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 41d

I always appreciate it when someone is willing to do the legwork to go to the study and find why the claim is bullshit. It was obvious from some comments in the article that the data was either flawed or made up, and now I don’t have to track down why.

Bustedknuckles@lemmy.world · 26 pts · 41d (1 reply)

Oh man, I thought they meant Americans felt ambivalent as they wrestled with the promise of the american experiment, held up against the reality of our history and the revealed flaws in our society and system of government. And I was like "yeah, I get it".

Turns out we're just dumb, lol

taiyang@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 41d

Same. We're just projecting into the headline. I'm quite ambivalent today.

eyelevel@lemmy.world · 24 pts · 41d (1 reply)

[ removed ]

kent_eh@lemmy.ca · 9 pts · 41d

Would that be the same right-wingers who have been underfunding and attacking public education for decades?

The ones who elected Mister "I love the poorly educated"?

JoMiran@lemmy.ml · 18 pts · 41d (2 replies)

We will not go quietly into the night. We will not vanish without a fight. We're going to live on. We're going to survive. Today, we celebrate our independence day.

-- George Washington or something (according to half the country)

aceshigh@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 41d (1 reply)

Michael Scott

Zachariah@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 41d

— Albert Einstein

chuckleslord@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 41d

I don't give a fuck what the Cato Institute finds. They can shut the fuck up and get back to gargling Newt Gingrich's balls while he's still breathing.

Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works · 13 pts · 41d (1 reply)

To be fair, I know what the day marks, but I also don't know what the fuck were celebrating.

This country is in the shitter, we're headed for very dark times even if we can defeat the Republicans this year and retake the house and senate.

Sabata11792@ani.social · 0 pts · 41d

I use to buy fireworks and get excited, then I got old enough to learn we're the bad guys in the shit hole country just like everyone we're paying to blow up.

makeshift0546@lemmy.today · 12 pts · 41d

Garbage survey designed to illicit a bad result that they'll toss around to rile the base.

Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 41d (2 replies)

The 4th of July is obviously the day when Jesus, Columbus and Superman beat Karl Marx and Hitler! Duh!

Klear@piefed.world · 4 pts · 41d (1 reply)

Marx, Hitler and Obama.

Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 41d

Of course, of course. How could I forget Obama?

Doomsider@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 41d

What to celebrate, you got to be kidding.

Trump making 2 billion dollars grifting the American people!

No? how about

Women can't get proper pregnancy care anymore because of big scary abortions!

Not your style, maybe

Trans people have to submit to genital inspections from bigoted conservative males to use the restroom!

Perhaps this

Our greatest ally Isreal is nearly complete with their genocide!

Maybe something more festive for the holidays

The US has blown up over 60 civilian ships murdering countless innocents in celebration of our 250 anniversary!

quick_snail@feddit.nl · 6 pts · 41d (1 reply)

Only 61 percent correctly identified Great Britain as the nation from which the 13 colonies declared independence 250 years ago

Was "Britain" and "United Kingdom" options?

Because it's more understandable if everyone who answered "British" or "Britain" or "UK" were marked as "wrong"

jaek@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 41d

Only 61 percent correctly identified Great Britain as the nation from which the 13 colonies declared independence 250 years ago. Overall, 40 percent answered incorrectly, with 25 percent admitting they were not sure, and others guessing Europe (4 percent), Canada (3 percent), France (4 percent), Spain (2 percent), and Germany (2 percent).

From tfa

Gates9@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 41d (1 reply)

Of course we do it’s when George Washington took over the airports and rammed the ramparts after Hitler invaded Boston Market and teabagged everyone

PattyMcB@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 41d

Don't forget when dinosaurs attacked the un

NABDad@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 41d

While I have read the Declaration of Independence, it was well before President Pedo's first term, and I don't have it memorized.

I was making breakfast a few days ago and listening to the History That Doesn't Suck podcast. For the lead up to the 4th, they read the Declaration of Independence.

Given the opportunity to listen and think about it just then, it was shocking just how many of the offenses the Founding Fathers listed this administration is engaging in.

radiofreebc@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 41d

Trust me, the rest of the world is trying to figure that out too.

Fmstrat@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 39d

Why is there no source for the poll? This seems like a purposeful oversight.

baines@lemmy.cafe · 4 pts · 41d

and some of us know exactly what july 4th 1894 means

eat shit shocking poll, it’s an excuse to spend time with family the rest of it never meant a damn thing unless you’re a rich white land owner

HootinNHollerin@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 4 pts · 41d

Bullshit

newton@feddit.online · 3 pts · 41d

release of the Epstein files

jaybone@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 41d

I thought it was Trump’s birthday, right?

Buffalox@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 41d

This year they sem to be celebrating Trump. That's how stupid the majority of the American people are.
So they will either join or stay away on that basis.

SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world · 3 pts · 41d (1 reply)

I celebrate that finger I blew off last year while I was celebrating that finger I blew of the year before.

America! Fuck yeah!

NABDad@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 41d

To avoid losing fingers, hold the fireworks in your mouth while you light them.

Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 41d

Sorry but I can't see Cato without adding Sicarius to the end.

anon_8675309@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 41d

Celebrating hamburgers!

northernlights@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 41d

I celebrate not working 🤷

Adverse_Reaction@anarchist.nexus · 1 pts · 41d