26% of Americans don't know that we won our independence from Britain.

So I subscribe to The Week, which compiles all sorts of articles from numerous other news periodicals (like Rotten Tomatoes does with movies), and happened upon this little statistic: 26% of U.S. citizens DO NOT KNOW we fought and won our independence from Great Britain.

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/16580/independence-day-26-of-americans-dont-know-what-country-the-colonies-declared-independence-from

Of respondents aged 18 to 29, only 60 percent correctly identified Great Britain. A full one-third were unsure. Maybe history c!ass was too long ago.

Or maybe, as the New York Daily News would have it, Americans are "pretty dumb." Overall, 20 percent of the population answered "not sure" to the question, while six percent declared it to be a country other than Great Britain. "

Among the countries mentioned are France, China, Japan, Mexico, and Spain,"

China and Japan? I mean, REALLY? Sorry if old, but that is stunning and quite honestly very frightening.

So I subscribe to The Week, which compiles all sorts of articles from numerous other news periodicals (like Rotten Tomatoes does with movies), and happened upon this little statistic: 26% of U.S. citizens DO NOT KNOW we fought and won our independence from Great Britain.

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/16580/independence-day-26-of-americans-dont-know-what-country-the-colonies-declared-independence-from

Of respondents aged 18 to 29, only 60 percent correctly identified Great Britain. A full one-third were unsure. Maybe history c!ass was too long ago.

Or maybe, as the New York Daily News would have it, Americans are "pretty dumb." Overall, 20 percent of the population answered "not sure" to the question, while six percent declared it to be a country other than Great Britain. "

Among the countries mentioned are France, China, Japan, Mexico, and Spain,"

China and Japan? I mean, REALLY? Sorry if old, but that is stunning and quite honestly very frightening.

Rekunta

They are fortelling the future, of the great 2nd war of independence from debt we owe China.

You'd be shocked how many people in this country don't even know who the current president is.

You'd be shocked how many people in this country don't even know who the current president is.

Pirate700

Wait we have a president?

:lol:

The US won their independence from Mexico! Oh god that made my day! :lol:

You'd be shocked how many people in this country don't even know who the current president is.

Pirate700

The general masses are dumb, it's expected. HoolaHoopMan

Wait, so there's such a thing as "specific masses"? :P

But wait, I thought we won our independence from Japan during WWII. Derp.

I can't say I've ever met anyone who couldn't tell me who we won our independence from.

:lol:

The US won their independence from Mexico! Oh god that made my day! :lol:

black_cat19

You'd be shocked how many people in this country don't even know who the current president is.

Pirate700

You'd be shocked how many people in this country don't even know who the current president is.

Pirate700

These are also the same people that couldn't name our country's first five presidents, nor our current president:?

What the heck happened in the last 25-30 years?

Dont worry we are too busy educating other lesser countries around the world, so its okay if we are kind of lacking in our homeland. O.o lol really?

Doesn't surprise me at all. School systems are a joke in America.

I'm not sure how it works overseas and I won't even comment on that, but doing homework is more important than actually learning the material so all someone needs to do is copy homework their entire life and make it to college.

It's funny because I remember someone asking a teacher why we had to do homework and they said "to re-enforce what you learned that day" as if that ever worked. I used to love getting 90s on my tests while some other kid failed it and still has a B average.

Ya..because they clearly understood what we were being taught for a month..

I can't say I've ever met anyone who couldn't tell me who we won our independence from.

UnknownSniper65

Neither have I, which is part of the reason I'm so shocked. Where ARE these people found? I'll have to go looking under rocks sometime.

You'd be shocked how many people in this country don't even know who the current president is.

Pirate700

Two compulsory questions: how many people participated in the poll and was it taken online?

Not suprised. Its not hard to meet stupid people.

Two compulsory questions: how many people participated in the poll and was it taken online?

bruinfan617

Yeah, 26% of Americans don't take polls seriously since they generalize based on small sample sizes and extrapolate the results over a larger populace. I know I don't take polls seriously either after I took a Statistics course...

[QUOTE="Pirate700"]

You'd be shocked how many people in this country don't even know who the current president is.

sSubZerOo

Wait we have a president?

Here's some facepalm worthy stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkQ6XgXeNuY

I know all about the war between the US and Britain, but I could care less. When the US was fighting for their Independence from Britain, my ancestors were slaves. So, the 4th of July can kiss my Black ass:lol: seriously:|

Here's some facepalm worthy stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkQ6XgXeNuY

fidosim

To be honest the Betsy Ross question is kind of unfair.

Here's some facepalm worthy stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkQ6XgXeNuY

fidosim

:lol: I couldn't even make it pass the first girl. "Who did we win our independence from"...".....America?"

People need to just flat out say I DONT KNOW when they don't know. I'm still amazed people will try to sidestep the question failing to realize it'll make them look worse.

These are also the same people that couldn't name our country's first five presidents, nor our current president:?

What the heck happened in the last 25-30 years?

xXTalismanXx

Here's some facepalm worthy stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkQ6XgXeNuY

fidosim

Oh god, why must people be so damn stupid!?

Here's some facepalm worthy stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkQ6XgXeNuY

fidosim

:lol:

At least the grandpa at the very end redeemed some of my faith in humanity.

Wow, I'm not American and even I knew that one (Canadian). But then again, I do have a profound liking to history.. So that may have helped.

Man there's people here that don't even know when our independence day even though it happens every year. So I would not even doubt that statistic you gave.. (I'm not talking about america here my country :P)

[QUOTE="fidosim"]

Here's some facepalm worthy stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkQ6XgXeNuY

Rekunta

:lol:

At least the grandpa at the very end redeemed some of my faith in humanity.

Thats because he was around during when it happened! That doesn't count.

Here's some facepalm worthy stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkQ6XgXeNuY

fidosim

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJuNgBkloFE

THIS is facepalm worthy. But obviously they looked for the dumbest answers hahahah

[QUOTE="Rekunta"]

[QUOTE="fidosim"]

Here's some facepalm worthy stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkQ6XgXeNuY

sSubZerOo

:lol:

At least the grandpa at the very end redeemed some of my faith in humanity.

Thats because he was around during when it happened! That doesn't count.

[QUOTE="Rekunta"]

:lol:

At least the grandpa at the very end redeemed some of my faith in humanity.

Thats because he was around during when it happened! That doesn't count.

Or maybe facts such as these are irrelevant to the day to day lives of most Americans? I'm not saying they aren't dumb but facts such as those don't determine someone's intelligence that well.

[QUOTE="Gallion-Beast"][QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]

Thats because he was around during when it happened! That doesn't count.

bruinfan617

[QUOTE="Rekunta"]

[QUOTE="fidosim"]

Here's some facepalm worthy stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkQ6XgXeNuY

sSubZerOo

:lol:

At least the grandpa at the very end redeemed some of my faith in humanity.

Thats because he was around during when it happened! That doesn't count.

Hahaha lol

True true.

I'm sure the percentage is MUCH lower than that, seeing as how they didn't even interview every person in America.