Startling Statistcs Re 1776
 

(CNN) - A slight majority of Americans know what year the United States declared independence, according to a new national survey.
The Marist Poll released in honor of America's Independence Day, July 4, showed 58 percent of residents aware their country declared independence in 1776. Twenty-six percent were unsure and 16 percent named another date. Younger Americans, those under 30 years of age, were less likely to have the correct answer with 31 percent, compared to Americans between the ages of 45 and 59 who said 1776 75 percent of the time.
FULL POST

By: CNN Political Unit
Filed under: July 4 • Polls

What does everyone think of this article?

I'm betting that a high percentage of those who didn't know the year also don't know who we were declaring independence from. Doesn't say much about the state of education in this country, does it?

And considering that these folks have the same rights to vote as you and me, it doesn't bode well for a well-informed electorate...

Interesting stuff, 2B.

Here's another one. I've actually tried this one myself on some younger folks: Ask them in what year Columbus discovered America. Usually, you'll get a "deer in the headlights" stare back :shocked: ........or some completely off-the-wall guess that's wrong. If you want to make the person feel a bit better, tell them the Bonus Question is: In what year did the War of 1812 begin?............................ :1rotfl:

History doesn't seem to be a subject that gets much play in schools nowadays.

Bill :wave:

Bonus question Answer -They might guess 1955 or some year before they were born. :1rotfl:

I remember watching You Bet Your Life with Groucho Marks and the consolation prize question was, "What is the color of George Washington's white horse?" and the contestant missed it. :shocked:

Joe :wave:

An article in the WSJ a few weeks ago ran along these same lines. Only 12% of young people knew their were 13 original colonies. The artcle ended by reminding readers that educators may want to shift their agendas from teaching cultural diversity to basic history/civic education.. I mean they are eligible to vote?????

They also may want to teach reasoning skills - not just how to take a test....

And who is buried in Grant's tomb. :read:

I know I know....Mary Tyler Moore's boss, newspaper editor Mr. Grant:D

A few years ago, Jay Leno was doing his "Jaywalking" sketch with three of the people he'd met on the street brought into the studio.

For one question, he showed a painting of Lincoln's assassination and asked what the picture depicted.

They all missed it, so he told them it was the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

Then he asked "Who shot Lincoln?" One contestant pointed at John Wilkes Booth and yelled "That guy did it!"

And I then personally understood the term ROTFLMAO.

:BigApplause:

I am not too worried about folks like that voting bc I figure (hopefully) that most of them either won't or don't vote.

I am most concerned, however, that folks like that are eligible to serve as jurors. Seriously. People like that would comprise a jury pool that could decide a complicated issue involving my loved one or me.

Be judged by a jury of our peers? If that collective display if "knowledge" is any indication, I'm thinking NO!

What has happened in the US? For a good explanation see the Documentary video available from Netflix, titled, The Cartel. While its focus is on education in NJ, it speaks volumes about the problem. It's not that we don't spend enough on education.

I beg to differ
 

Every younger person I know (ages 18-30) DO know their history/math/science/civics and I am proud that they worked hard to acquire the core knowledge that they have. The younger ones are still a work in progress.
:BigApplause:

Interesting Quote
 

"In 100 years we have gone from teaching Latin and Greek in high school to teaching Remedial English in college."

--JOSEPH SOBRAN