On Tuesday, July 4, we’ll celebrate our nation and its independence.
According to a new survey, however, only a little over 40 percent of people know that.
Talker.News — “a curated source of news stories and data-driven content for publishers and broadcasters” — reports how a new OnePoll survey asked 1,000 people across the U.S. questions pertaining to their knowledge regarding the meaning behind Independence Day. Of the respondents who were asked, 99 percent identified as either a born or naturalized citizen.
The results the OnePoll survey received were rather interesting (to put it nicely): When asked why we celebrate the Fourth of July, only 59 percent of people gave the correct answer — “The signing of the Declaration of Independence.” The other 41 percent got it totally wrong.
Another 45 percent of respondents also guessed the incorrect date that the signing took place — choosing 1777 instead of 1776 — and 40 percent had no idea that the “right to bear arms” is part of the Second Amendment. As far as the “right to free speech” goes, 11 percent of survey-takers had no idea it was under the First Amendment.
Talker.News continues to state that — on the bright side — “many respondents did well in their understanding of U.S. history and civics.” Of the respondents asked, 82 percent correctly named the President as the “Commander in Chief” while the same percentage correctly answered that the “Star Spangled Banner” was the title of our National Anthem.