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

[cactuswatcher.livejournal.com]

Try Madison, Monroe then J. Q. Adams.

Don't worry about it. There have been a lot more presidents since I was a kid!

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

This reminds me of the time I went to see that perfectly horrible Mel Gibson movie "The Patriot". Before the movie started I heard a father and his two teenaged daughters talking behind me. I swear to God, this was the conversation they had (I remember because I had to restrain myself from turning around to tell them they were stupid).

Father: The movie is about the Revolutionary War.

Daughter One: Who did we fight in the Revolutionary War?

Daughter Two: The North. Duh.


::head desk::

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

Sadly, I can do even worse than that. The local High School gives the students a local history assignment which includes really difficult things like spelling the name of the City you live in correctly, naming the current Mayor, the current Governor of your State, etc.

Guess how many students have no clue about any of those - including how to spell the name of the City you live in.

[embers-log.livejournal.com]

I'm lucky, in the small town where I'm currently living they have numbered and lettered streets going North and South, but all the East/West cross town avenues are named after the Presidents, in the order in which they served... it is a constant reminder of the correct order. lol

Personally I blame the idea of too many kids being badly home schooled or going to religious schools which have agendas other than teaching history, or Government, or languages or or or...
sigh.

I hope you are able to stay cool and hydrated! It isn't so hot here, it has been raining for days.

[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?).

[maidenjedi]

Maybe they're confusing the 4th of July with the 5th of May. Cinco de Mayo is the Mexican date for independence from Spain. So there's always a chance it's just kids mixing up independence days.

The France thing....is a stretch.

But, in any event, this whole thing just made me so sad and angry.

[angearia.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's a generational thing. I remember growing up watching Jay Leno and his questions on the street segment. And well... I think some people are just ignorant. And this was long before Facebook and Twitter, also before the internet really got up and moving.

Some people just don't give a crap about history or general knowledge, never bother to learn it and certainly wouldn't bother remembering it if they happened to learn it. In one ear and out the other.

I'm cynical about this sort of thing. But in general, I despise this sort of attitude and I've definitely come across it in RL. Maybe it's gotten worse with the all the tech around, but it's always been around us--maybe we were all just less aware of it.