American History or the lack thereof..

[shadowkat]

Posting from work on my lunch break because it's too bloody hot outside to walk around the park, which is never a great idea (posting on lj at work not park walking) but what the heck - as long as I don't post about work.



According to Momster - the news had done a survey of the American public and discovered that over 29% or 27% (can't remember which) did not know who the US fought for and got independence from way back in 1776. Sure they knew that the 4th of July was about getting our independence from another country that we happened to be a colony of, but they didn't appear to know which country.

Now this blew my mind. So, bewildered, I asked Momster, "out of curiousity - who do people think we won independence from?"

Momster: Spain and France - were the leading candidates.

Okay, could be worse. (hint - in case you don't know the answer - what language do the vast majority of Americans speak? I mean seriously folks, if we won our independence from France or Spain, don't you think we'd all be speaking Spainish or French? ) Maybe they are confusing the French/Indian Wars with the Revol War (which was earlier) or the Spainish/American War which was much much later?

Of course this wasn't all - about 29% don't know who the first President of the US is. Uhm okay. That's just sad. Hint - look at the American Dollar Bill or Nickle, and what is the name of Capital of the US? I mean this is not hard people.

And...they can't tell you who the first four Presidents of the US are? Okay, that I can sort of understand - took me a while to get them into the correct order.

Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison...then I think John Quincy Addams.
John Quincy was also Sec of State.

I don't know. Methinks people are spending far too much time on twitter, facebook and the internet in general for their own good. Googling whenever they have to know the answer to anything. As a result, Generation Tech (Gen T)is rapidly turning into Generation Spoiled Stupid (Gen SS).


It would be amusing, if it weren't so sad and pathetic. There's an old adage - those who do not learn from history, let alone remember it, are doomed to repeat it. Which is exactly what we are doing.


Okay - back to work.

Comments

[stormwreath.livejournal.com]

and what is the name of Capital of the US?

The first President of the United States was a Mr W. Deecee? :-)


Mind you, I doubt that one British person in a thousand could name the first four prime ministers. I certainly can't, though I know Walpole was the first. First four kings of England? No idea without looking it up, although I'm pretty sure there was an Edgar and an Athelstan in there. First four monarchs of the UK is a bit easier (George III, George IV, William IV and Victoria, unless George III was already dead when the act of union was signed?).

[angearia.livejournal.com]

Ah, but your British history is all with the long and epic. And does England only start with William the Conqueror? I mean, when does your country even draw the line? What of Alfred the Great? When does England officially begin as England?

With America, we have a more finite and recent history. And the first presidents and the Revolutionary Period are taught in every school. So as you find it easier to list off the first four monarchs... well, that's the equivalent, I suppose.

First presidents in order off the top of my head: Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, John Quincey Adams, and that's all I've got. *checks* Yep.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

We also celebrate George Washington's Birthday every year in Feb along with Lincoln's - granted it is called President's Day, but the Calendar does state George Washington's Birthday. His face is on our currency. Plus we have little songs about him that are taught to kids in grade school.

Not sure how you'd not know he wasn't the first President, unless, well - you were living under a rock?

[stormwreath.livejournal.com]

When does England officially begin as England?

AD 927. That's when Alfred the Great's grandson Aethelstan conquered the Kingdom of York and "brought under his rule all the kings who were in this island" and began issuing charters as "King of the English" (rex anglorum / engla cyning) rather than King of the West Saxons.

But I should probably point out that I'm fascinated by history, have a degree in it, and even so I had to look that up before writing the paragraph above. It's not something most people would know.

More "traditional" English history only counted the kings since 1066. There's even a mnemonic song for them:

Willy, Willy, Harry, Ste,
Harry, Dick, John, Harry three,
One, two, three Neds, Richard two,
Henries four, five, six – then who?
Edwards four, five, Dick the bad,
Harries twain and Ned the lad,
Mary, Bessie, James the vain,
Charlie, Charlie, James again,
William & Mary, Anna Gloria,
Four Georges, William and Victoria.

(There are several different versons of the poem after that dealing with the 20th century.)

And England became part of Great Britain in 1707, and Great Britain became part of the United Kingdom in 1801.

[angearia.livejournal.com]

Ah, that would have been my guess. Starting with William the Conqueror in 1066. Not the more detailed note above.

[stormwreath.livejournal.com]

Back in a less enlightened age, the common thought was "Until 1066 Britain was constantly being invaded; after 1066 we were the ones invading everyone else". So it made a good dividing line...