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submitted 15 hours ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world

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.

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[-] taiyang@lemmy.world 4 points 11 hours ago

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 3 points 10 hours ago

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 3 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

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

this post was submitted on 04 Jul 2026
264 points (94.9% liked)

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