One In Four Americans Don't Know Where We Declared Independence From

(Brunocerous's flickr)

On Monday America celebrates Independence Day with fireworks and barbecues and beer, but according to a new Marist Poll one in four Americans don't even know what country America declared its independence from. And only 58 percent of residents know that the U.S. broke off in 1776. U.S.A.!

The survey of 1,003 adults was taken earlier this month and found that younger Americans were the least likely to know when America broke away from Great Britain. Only 31 percent of adults younger than 30 said 1776 when asked while 59 percent of residents between 30 and 44 got the question right. Americans 45 to 59 were most likely to know the year, with 75 percent getting it right. 65 percent of men got the answer right while only 52 percent of women did.

Meanwhile somehow the fact that nine percent of college graduates were not sure what country America declared independence from while two percent mentioned countries other than Great Britain is what disturbed us the most. You can see a full breakdown of the survey here [PDF].

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Garth Johnston in News on July 1, 2011 1:36 PM

Comments [rss]

willbrecheen

About time to declare independence from yet another government...our own!!

Farrok

The evil empire the rank and file American needs to break away from is called Washington DC.

John Langston

Most of us were told the story of Paul Revere, and we were told that the red coats were the bad guys and the blue coats were the good guys. To think that if the British would have won there would have never been slavery in America and we would have universal healthcare today.
Great Britain abolished slavery nearly 300 years prior to 1776

m.soliday

300 years prior to 1776, huh? Try 1833 you fucking moron. I swear people get dumber by the second, their hemorrhaging brain spouting made up facts so others can spray the same non-sensical dribble to their peers. Look something up before you write a comment, Jesus.

Steve Thompson

The Slavery Act, which is the law that was created in 1833, was not the abolition of slavery in Great Britain. Great Britain had laws stating it didn't recognise slavery in 1563 and in 1701 a law was passed saying a slave became a free man on arrival in England. The slave trade act 1807 abolished the trading of slaves in the British Empire. First, check your facts before calling people morons, second make sure you understand the difference between "British Empire", "Great Britain", "United Kingdom" and "England" before you respond because they're four very different things. To make it simple, the US gained independence from "Great Britain", the "British Empire" abolished slavery in 1833. Oh, and 1865 -1563 = 302. You moron.

Ragingsemi

You know what the sad thing is? The 1/4 are probably American born citizens, not imigrants.

B4k4_d35u

Of course they are, have you seen the test immigrants have to take? It has some of this basic knowledge kind of questions on it.

whatidsay

I bet you 30% of Americans don't know where they are right now.

PaxRex

We make people get a license to drive; you have to be licensed to practice law, medicine, even massage. Heck, you have to have a license to fish!!!!! But we will let any idiot vote when they turn 18. It is no wonder our political system is failing. I think, when a citizen turns 18, they should have to pass a test to demonstrate their understanding of basic politics, how government works, the Constitution, Bill of Rights, etc. People who pass the test can be issued a voters license. People who don't pass the test would have the option of retrying each year until they actually learn something. I'll bet that would change the outcomes of our elections - cause then the politicians would have to actually understand their jobs!!!!!

Linas K Muliolis

LOL - I can't argue - chck out Heinlein in Starship Troopers. Service in the military guarantees citizenship! (At least its something - doesn't show smarts but at least it shows dedication to your country)

carnut55

Getting a bit more esoteric - KIA casualties for the whole war in the area of 6,000 - 7,000 persons. War prisoners incarcerated in NY Sugar houses and ships - over 11,000. Death by starvation, disease and prison overcrowding, as well as cruel and brutal guarding.

obbop

USA citizen-sheep deserve the eventual oligarchy OR whoever their future masters are; the alien invading horde from the south or whatever invading non-assimilating culture assumes control.

69GeorgeWBush69

i'm guessing it's the same 1 in 4 people that don't know how to properly use a trash can

Spirit of 76

Remembering things is so 20th century. Don't you know that the future doesn't belong to the know-it-alls? The world will be ruled by those who have the best Google-fu.

Mr. Know-It-All

Like Milton, the best years of my life buried in the classics, straining my vision to the point of blindness in the dim lamplight, and what do I have to show for my troubles? A Paradise Lost? A Samson Agonistes? No--only ignominy, irrelevance, and invisibility. [Sniff, sniff.]

Michelle Langlie

Man, my hypothetical future children are not going to have a tv or video game player in sight and will be locked in their room with all the books they can read. This is so sad.

B4k4_d35u

My daughter is seven. She knew these answers because me and my wife tell her stories every night that happen to be historically accurate. She also has read every book in our house, and continually amazes me. She also play game/watches TV four at least four hours a day. Blame the real problem, not games and TV, lazy parents

B4k4_d35u

My daughter is seven. She knew these answers because me and my wife tell her stories every night that happen to be historically accurate. She also has read every book in our house, and continually amazes me. She also plays games/watches TV for at least four hours a day. Blame the real problem, not games and TV, lazy parents

blindmalice

Thats OK. Smart people start wanting too much, and asking questions, and next thing you know they'll actually start revolting, instead of shopping and eating. They need to keep shopping and eating.

ANGRYGOD11

Its even sadder when one realizes a much bigger percentage of Americans don't know why people risked their lives for years to secure our independence.

sketto

One in four gothamist posters don't know that we didn't declare independence from a where, but from a what. Lazy writing, Garth.

Inkognita

From a what? But isn't a country a who[m] and not a what?

How about: "....Don't Know from Whom We Declared Independence?"

hotstepper

wait, where am i?

TunaLoaf

There's a "Great" Britain?

john mcgill

Yes, they formed your country and gave you Law, order and language. They created the very foundations on which your culture is based. They started the industrial revolution. The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin and Black Sabbath were British. They also created the internet (Tim Berners-Lee), the television (John Logie Baird), the car engine, the Tank, and the jet engine. They controlled 3/4 of the known world for 100 years. They spawned some of the worlds most respected actors, writers and scientists. Their country has Mountains, Lakes, Forests and fields - but no deadly Bears, Snakes or Spiders. They're just close enough to America to give us tourist money and just close enough to Europe to go shopping in Paris on your day off work. London still has more influence over financial matters than any other City in the world. Yes - Britain's still pretty great.

Barnzy

Sorry, but Tim Berners-Lee did not create the Internet! The Internet was created by the US DOD, and was originally call ARPANET. Tim Berners-Lee created the concept of the World Wide Web.

Harry Cunningham

You are correct - but what part of the internet is it that changed the world? The World Wide Web.

Unless you're one of those people who remembers Gopher with a peculiar fondness!

pazzo83

Yes, and we still beat your ass. Twice.

But I guess we are just all worked up about being afraid of our "Bears, Snakes, or Spiders." Seriously dude? Grow a pair and then get back to us.

Harry Cunningham

Now you're showing your ignorance. The Revolution was not a case of "us" versus "them". The revolution only enjoyed support from around 40% of the colonial population and not all of the political elite in Great Britain were against it. In fact some of the most celebrated figures of the revolution, people like Thomas Paine, were British. And, at the same time as fighting the American Revolutionaries 3000 miles from home, Britain was also engaged in a war with France. Despite this, and the loss of the American colonies (which, at the time, was not nearly as terrible an event as Americans would have you believe), Britain continued to be a central power in the world for the next 200 years.

In the meantime America has risen to be a world power and is now on the decline within a period of less than 60 years and during that time has contributed virtually nothing to the world.

Ian Sutherland

And yet, they still manage to have the most fucked up teeth of any nation in the world.

Harry Cunningham

Not true, my man. We have among the best dental hygiene of anywhere in the world. Americans simply think we have bad teeth because we don't go to the same extraordinary lengths to make our teeth ludicrously white that they do.

rumtopf

And Americans are all fat and stupid. Lol stereotypes!

Rocknrope

I don't know that shit! Keepin' it real!

fleur_de_lis

wow this is sad. my 8 year old sister knows these things.

Steven Harris

I wanna know the other countries mentioned. Iraq? China?

Mark Lee

Our Founding Fathers Randy Quaid, Bill Pullman, Will Smith, and Jeff Goldblum declared independence from our Alien Invaders on the Fourth of July. Yeah.

hotstepper

the Empire.

RabbiLaFunque

Maybe those adults in the under 30 crowd should get off those bicycles and read a goddam BOOK!

Melanie Parker

Oh yeah, they left out the part about there being a direct correlation between being a cyclist and illiterate/ignorant.

Guest

Maybe Americans should do both; stay on the bike to lose weight as a massively obese country and gain some IQ points for being so ignorant?

Guest

Bachman and Palin throwing off the curve again...

notreallyfunny

FUNNY

yamon

Don't know about this or y'all but I'M about to declare independence from work in about 10 minutes. Popping beers in about 20 - happy 4th feckers!